Under the Surface
by Halawen
Summary: Clare's new family seems happy but if you look under the surface will it still seem so perfect? While her home life gets worse and darker by the day her circle of friends grows and a new guy might just male it all bearable. Clare/Sean, Clare/Maya friendship, misfits friendship, Clowen freindship. Maya/Cam. Short Story, completely AU. Dark fic, Trigger warning.
1. Can You See

**I know I know I already have other short stories awating updates and I've gone and started another one but a headache and a bad mood yesterday made it impossible to update Friends with Benefits and well this is what I wrote instead.**

**Important bits:**

**I own nothing but the idea**

**This is going to be a short story less than ten chapters most likely but it may evolve into a longer story it won't be a regular story by which I mean it won't be updated once a week but when I have time and the mood strikes me.**

**Eli and Clare never got back together but are friends (even though he's not in the first chapter, he will be though)**

**Cam will not die, this story is entirely AU.**

**If you are Jake, Katie or Jatie fan then this probably isn't the story for you.**

**Ch. 1 Can You See**

**(CLARE)**

"How was spring break in Nevada with your father and Jessica?" Mom asks as soon as we're in the car and driving out of the airport parking lot.

"It was fine, we went to Vegas to see a couple of shows those were good." I reply.

"That's nice dear we've had a few changes while you were gone." Mom tells me.

"Changes like what?" I ask indifferently thinking that by changes she means she put new curtains in the living room or got a cat or something.

"Well for one I got married and we've moved into his house," Mom drops the shocking news on me showing me her new wedding ring.

"You did what? Mom I've only been gone for 10 Days and you married some guy I've never even met and moved us into his house?! What about DeGrassi I'm supposed to go back tomorrow?" I exclaim in disbelief, spontaneity is not like my mother and it seems to be all she did while I was gone.

"Don't worry Honey you'll still be going to DeGrassi and in fact his son will be starting there with you tomorrow. And you do know them Sweetie; do you remember Glen and Jake Martin?" Mom questions.

"Didn't they live down the street from our summer house, at least until you and Dad sold it in the divorce. I thought Glen was married?" I ask still not able to believe this is real.

We hadn't been to the summer house since I was about eight. From what I remembered about Glen he seemed to be a nice guy but all I remembered about Jake was he was a brat. Of course last time I saw him he was nine and he'd be seventeen now so it was safe to assume he'd changed.

"He was but they divorced about four years ago. Glen and Jake moved into town and Glen runs a very successful contracting business. We ran into each other the night you left and got to talking and Clare I knew it right then and so did he, we were in love. The next morning we went and got married and started moving all our stuff into their house. You'll just love the new house Baby, you're room is bigger and there's a lovely yard and garden. We're going to be a wonderful family." Mom states.

"Mom! You went and got married without talking to me? You moved us into their house? Don't I get any say in this?" I ask astounded and insulted that Mom didn't even call me to ask if I wanted to move.

"Oh Clare you'll love it and I'm happy be happy for me." Was mom's reply.

I was shocked speechless, I didn't know what to do. Arguing wasn't going to do me any good, arguing with my mother never did she usually responded to action better than words. Right now though I had no actions I was just stunned. Mom went on and on talking about how good Glen was and how well behaved Jake was and how we would be such a good family. Glen's house or I guess my new house wasn't too far from Adam's as it turns out which I thought was good because if things were bad or awkward I could always hide out at Adam's.

"Here we are home sweet home," Mom smiled. "Just leave your bag in the car I'll have Jake come get it in a minute let's go in and say hi first." Mom insists.

I'm pretty sure I don't have a choice in the matter so I get out of the car and go inside to greet my new family. Mom unlocks the door and calls into the house that we're home and I look around. The house is a little bigger than Adam's it looks like, the entry leads into the great room and a kitchen twice the size of our old one, there's stairs behind the kitchen and a hallway beside the stairs. Glen comes out from the hallway and Jake comes down the stairs.

"Clare welcome home, it's so good to see you." Glen says coming over and shaking my hand.

"Yeah Clare you've really grown up," smiles Jake.

"Yeah well it's been eight years," I reply with a slight snarky edge to my voice. When my mom gives me a look I sigh and smile a little. "It's umm good to…so I…ummm guess you're my stepdad and stepbrother now." I stumble over something nice to say but really what was Mom expecting? I haven't seen them in eight years and suddenly we're all family.

"I know it must have been a shock to come home to a whole new family but you're mother and I are in love. We're going to be a wonderful family Clare, it'll take some adjusting of course but I really think we'll all be happier as a family." Glen says.

"I always did want a little sister," Jake smiles.

"You have an older sister too don't forget," I point out.

"Right Darcy but she's still in Africa." Jake replies.

"Son why don't you get Clare's bag from the car and take it up to her room." Glen instructs.

Jake goes out to the car while Mom and Glen show me the downstairs, by the time they're done Jake has come back inside.

"Come on Clare I'll show you to your room," Jake says. I follow him upstairs; there are actually three floors it appears as the stairs continue up. "Our parent's room is on the third floor, my room is at the end of the hall, this is your room and in between them is the washroom." Jake explains as he opens the first door and we go into my room.

All my furniture is here except that I have a much nicer desk now. The room is bigger than my old one and my mom set it up nicely.

"Thanks Jake just set it down," I tell him.

"Sure, we moved in all your stuff. Across the hall is a closet and guest room. Do you need any help putting your stuff away?" Jake asks.

"No I can get it thanks. Okay just call if you need me and Dad should have dinner ready soon." Jake tells me and leaves my room.

I sink down onto my bed, this still feels unreal, and I'm half convinced this is a bizarre dream or something. Or maybe I'm hoping it is, Glen and Jake seem nice enough and it's not as though they're complete strangers I do know them. Still I have to question my mom's sanity for doing this. Deciding this is reality I finally get up to unpack my suitcase when I finish I lay on my bed again, and notice I have a lovely view out of my window of a tree. Some minutes later there's a knock on my door, I call come in, the door opens and Jake looks in.

"Dad says dinners ready," he tells me.

I get off the bed and follow Jake downstairs sitting across from him at the table. Glen actually made a very nice dinner and they spend most of dinner telling me about the wedding and moving in.

"Sweetie I know you just got back but Glen and I are leaving on Wednesday for our honeymoon. We'll be gone for a week and I hope we can trust you kids to stay home alone?" Mom says.

"Of course you can trust us; Clare and I will be very good and help each other just like brother and sister." Jake assures them with a smile.

I'm stunned speechless again, how are we supposed to adjust to becoming a family if they're leaving in a couple of days?

After dinner Mom and Glen clean up together and I go upstairs to my room. Deciding I should shower I get out my pajamas from my dresser then go into the washroom; I find the towels right away and turn on the shower. I lock the door to Jake's room then undress and get in, the warm water feels good and I relax into it forgetting for a moment that my mom seems to have gone insane. Mom's already put my shampoo, razor and all other shower things in the shower for me. I stay in the shower for a long time, not turning off the water until the washroom is thoroughly filled with steam. I pull back the curtain only to find Jake in the washroom leaning on the counter.

"JAKE! What are you doing in here didn't you hear the shower on?!" I exclaim angrily and grab my towel to cover myself.

"If you didn't want me to come in you should have locked the door," Jake smiles as his eyes rove over my body.

I pull the shower curtain closed again so I can properly fix the towel. "I did the lock the door, get out Jake!" I demand.

"You didn't lock the door to your room," Jake retorts before I hear him leave.

When I hear the door close I peek out, satisfied that Jake is gone I step out and run to my room making sure my door is locked. I can't lock the washroom door from this side but I move my desk chair in front of it. I get into my pajamas and get out my journal writing all about my time with Dad and coming home to the twilight zone. The jet lag from the plane and the shock from this afternoon combine to make me fairly tired and after getting ready for bed I fall asleep quickly. The sudden feeling that someone is in my room watching me wakes me suddenly. I sit up with a gasp to find Jake sitting on the edge of my bed staring at me.

"Jake what are you doing in my room?" I question with a harsh tone as I pull the blankets up.

"Couldn't sleep," he says indifferently as though he were remarking about the weather.

"That doesn't mean you can come into my room, go watch TV or something." I respond my voice filled with vexation.

"But I'd rather spend the time catching up with you," Jake replies, his voice is somehow detached and I almost think I'm dreaming.

"Jake I'm tired we have school tomorrow we can catch up some other time." I reply sleepily but with much annoyance and animosity in my tone.

I feel Jake's weight shift on the mattress so I know he's leaning forward, I turn again to look at Jake, to yell at him to go back to his room but he's so close to my face I freeze up. Jake is grinning at me, not a friendly grin but a noxiously vile grin. His eyes are eerily wide and looking at me with far too much interest, the way a starving child would a piece of bread. Of course the moonlight filtering in through my window could be making him look that much more eerie but none the less it sends a shiver of fright up my spine. It feels like a long time that he just looks at me that way but it was probably only a few seconds, either way I don't breathe until he finally moves.

"Goodnight Clare," he says with that eerily detached voice again.

Then he finally leaves my room by going through the washroom. I move the chair back in front of the door, something I should have done after getting ready for bed. I get back in bed pulling the covers up tight but after that odd encounter I can't sleep. I get up a little after six and get ready for school, I leave a note for mom that I went to school early to work on the paper. We don't live that far from Adam, a little over a block actually and I have to pass his house to get to school so when a car beeps at me as I'm walking I expect it to be some formation of the Torres clan. When I turn around however I see the Milligan brothers instead.

"Get in," Owen tells me.

It's not a harsh order, his voice is gentle but it's not entirely a suggestion either. I really don't know Owen at all but he's changed a lot and anyway Tristan's also in the car, or rather SUV.

"Hi Clare," Tris smiles at me as I get in the backseat.

"Hey Tris, Owen thanks for the ride but isn't a little early for you to be getting to school?" I question as I buckle up and Owen starts driving.

"I have hockey practice and I could ask you the same thing and don't you live in the other direction?" Owen asks back and I can see his eyebrows squeezed together in the rearview mirror.

"I did but while I was on spring break with my dad in Nevada my mom got married and moved us into my new stapdad's house which is in this direction." I tell them with just a little bitterness in my voice.

Owen looks back at me and I can't quite read the expression on his face. "So you decided to walk to school early because you don't like the new family?" He inquires.

"Yeah something like that," I reply looking at my hands. We all fall silent for a minute but now Jake's behavior last night won't leave my mind. "Do you guys share a washroom?" I inquire breaking the silence.

"Yeah why?" Tris questions.

"Me and Jake, that would be my new stepbrother, share a Jack and Jill washroom you know the kind with two doors. Anyway one door goes into my room and one door into his and I locked the door that goes into his room when I showered last night but when I got out of the shower Jake was in the washroom. He must have gone through my room to get in and he never really said why." I inform them.

"What was he doing in the washroom?" Owen asks.

"Just leaning on the counter but he did finally leave when I told him too." I reply.

"Did he do anything else?" Owen questions.

"No," I shake my head and look out the window as Owen parks at the school.

"Clare?" Owen says raising his eyebrows indicating he doesn't believe me.

Believe me or not he's parked and I unbuckle opening the car door. "Nope nothing, thanks for the ride Owen." I tell him quickly as I hop out of the car.

I walk quickly past Dallas, Luke and Cam who seem to be coming over to grab Owen as I see the Ice Hounds bus near the stairs. I wave to them and they all give me a curious look I'm guessing has to do with me having arrived with the Milligan brothers. I run up the stairs and into school very nearly bumping into both Torres brothers walking down the hall.

"Whoa!" They say simultaneously as they both grab me by the arms.

"What's the rush?" Adam asks.

"Sorry guys didn't get much sleep last night I had a weird night." I apologize as they let me go.

I start walking toward my locker, Adam follows me out of concerned friendship I'm guessing and Drew follows too although it could be any reason from he's concerned to he's bored.

"Define weird and how was your time with your dad?" Adam inquires.

"Why didn't you get much sleep?" Drew asks.

We've reached my locker and I try to open it but I can't seem to see straight and my hand is shaking a little.

"I'll open your locker," Adam says calmly.

I sigh heavily and turn around leaning against the bank of lockers as Adam puts in my combination.

"Have you guys ever gone into each other's rooms when you couldn't sleep?" I ask them after Adam opens my locker.

"Yeah all the time, usually Adam would come in after having a nightmare but if I couldn't sleep I'd wake him up just to make him suffer with me." Drew says.

"When I was little I remember waking Darcy up if I couldn't sleep but Jake just…" I'm telling them when Adam interrupts me.

"Who is Jake?" He queries.

"My new stepbrother," I tell them and they both look shocked, I start pulling books out of my locker before continuing. "Yeah while I was in Nevada my mom got married to a guy we haven't seen in eight years. Not only that but she moved us into their house where I share an entire floor and a washroom with Jake. Who also came into my room late last night because he said he couldn't sleep and I just thought it was weird but maybe it's normal."

"Uh normal for us but we've grown up together and we've been brothers a long time, for your new stepbrother to do it even if you guys new each other as kids that's kinda creepy. He's a teenage guy, you're a hot girl and going into your bedroom in the middle of the night is pretty weird." Drew tells me.

I bite my lip feeling fairly creeped out now because Drew thinks it's weird and it doesn't even occur to me that Drew just called me hot.

"Did you talk to your mom about it?" Adam asks as I close my locker.

"No she was too happy as the new bride, you should have seen her Adam she was giddy. I'll try talking to her this afternoon but Jake's probably just not used to having a sister I mean he's been an only child up until now." I tell them as I start walking to the newspaper office but they follow me again.

"So where is this Jake?" Adam questions.

"I don't know I walked to school early, I'm sure he'll be here soon. I actually live a block from you guys now." I tell them just before going into the newspaper office.

They watch me another second before walking away, I hide out in the newspaper office until the bell rings for class. Connor is already sitting at his desk and he smiles at me. Armstrong gives us a practice test and Connor and I finish first even though this is an AP class. When the bell rings Connor walks with me to science and we sit at our usual table waiting for Adam and Jenna.

"Jake's in Drew's homeroom English class," Adam tells me as he and Jenna sit down.

"Who's Jake?" Jenna and Connor ask together.

I quickly fill them in on my mom's wedding to Glen and moving us into his house over break but I leave out the part about Jake coming into the washroom while I was in the shower and my room.

"Drew said Jake seemed pretty nice but said he wasn't sure he trusted him. Of course it could be that Jake spent most of class flirting with Drew's spiteful ex Katie Matlin." Adam informs me.

"Yeah well from what I've heard from Maya about Katie they'd make a good couple." I reply rolling my eyes slightly and getting some looks from my friends but as class starts they don't pester me any further.

After sitting in on many a Whisper Hug rehearsal so I could hang out with Adam afterwards Maya and I had begun a friendship. I thought we wouldn't get a long at first because I wasn't fond of her older sister Katie but as it turned out neither was Maya and we bonded over that, well that and funny Adam stories.

"Let's go outside it's so nice out." Jenna says when the bell rings for morning break.

"I'll meet you guys out at a picnic table I have to put some books away," I tell them.

They wave to me as our paths diverge once we're out of the classroom. I reach my locker sling my backpack off my shoulder setting it on the floor and start entering my combination. Just as I'm entering the second number an arm comes around my shoulders but not in a friendly light way, in a menacing sort of grab that pulls me tight against a lean chest. I suck in a breath that gets heavy in my throat and bite my lip out of fear because instinct tells me who it is before his voice even whispers into my ear.

"Missed you this morning Clare, your mom wasn't too happy about you going off to school so early she wanted us to all have a nice breakfast. Lucky for you I talked her out of grounding you. Don't worry you can thank me later." Jake's hot breath slithers into my ear making me shudder.

He walks away after that without another word but I can't seem to move or even breathe, I just stare blankly at my locker. Nothing Jake said was exactly mean or even menacing but it was the way he said it and how he was holding me when he did that has me so anxious. When I feel another hand on my arm I jump with a startled gasp finally releasing that breath I'd been holding.

"Who the hell was that?" Owen inquires; his tone is austere and suspicious.

"That was Jake," I answer as I look up at him.

"And what was he just saying to you?" Owen questions.

"Just that my mom was mad because I left so early this morning," I reply picking up my backpack and heading for the entrance as I decide I don't need to stash some books after all.

"And he had to whisper that in your ear?" Owen queries.

"Yeah I guess so," I shrug starting to get just a little agitated with Owen's line of questioning.

Maybe I should tell him why I'm worried but I hardly know Owen and I'm trying really hard to convince myself I'm imagining things, that I'm angry at Mom for making all these life altering decisions without even talking to me and I'm just trying to create some drama in a rebellious act of teen girl angst. Owen on the other hand seems to be terribly stubborn as he grabs my arm lightly and turns me around to face him again.

"Clare the way he was holding you, the need to whisper in your ear, the fact he was waiting for you to get out of the shower last night," Owen says without keeping his voice down and I shush him, "it's not normal behavior not, for siblings." Owen finishes but he does lower his voice.

"I know but Jake's never had a sibling before it's just going to take some adjustment." I reply. _"Yep that's it he just doesn't know the etiquette of being a sibling yet. Everything will be fine in a day or two because we're just adjusting." _I silently pep talk to myself as Owen gives me a dubious look.

"You and Edwards having a lovers spat?" Dallas taunts and we both look at him as Owen lets go of my arm.

Standing with Dallas is Luke, Bianca and Drew all of which are wearing very curious expressions.

"Owen was just asking about Jake; excuse me I have to go meet Adam." I tell them and make a hasty exit out to the front.

Sitting at the table with Adam was Becky, no surprise there since the two had become attached at the hip since they'd started dating. Jenna and Connor were sitting next to them holding hands; they were still the cutest oddest couple at DeGrassi. On the other side of the table was Maya with Cam's arm around her and next to them Zig and Tristan. When I approached the table Zig and Tris moved over so I could sit between them. As much as I'd like to avoid the subject of my new my step-family and my mom's wedding it's all we talk about. Well they talk and conjecture on the subject and I sit there quietly biting my lip. When the bell rings and we all start walking in to go to class we make plans to all meet at the Dot for lunch then we split as Maya, Jenna and I walk to art finding Dave already there. Art is easy as it's all about expressionism today although Miss Dawes does give me a look for all the dark colors I use. My last class before lunch is Civics, Dave walks with me as he has the class with me and asks me about my new stepbrother, apparently the news has spread. Adam and Connor are sitting at their desks already when we get to class and Adam is the only thing that keeps me awake during Miss Cosnell's lecture. When class lets out we put our backpacks in our lockers and Dave comes with us to have lunch at the Dot.

**(OWEN)**

I was walking to the Dot with Drew, Bianca, Dallas and Luke to have lunch when we saw Clare and her friends with my brother and his friends just ahead of us so I whistled like I always do when I need Tris to pay attention and he turned around.

"You guys going to the Dot for lunch?" I ask them and my friends look at me like I've lost my mind.

"Yeah why?" Tris asks while walking backwards.

"Good we can all eat together," I reply.

"Uh since when do you want to eat with me and my friends?" Tris inquires.

"We won't all fit," Clare argues.

"Yeah we will, we'll just push some tables together." Bianca says.

We get to the Dot, kick out a few niners and start rearranging the tables so we can all fit. Clare sits down and then hops back up again before I can ask her anymore questions about Jake. We all watch her go to the door with a smile on her face as two older guys walk in, one tall with dark hair and a shorter one with light brown wavy hair, both appear to be in their mid twenties so why Clare looks so happy to see them or at least one of them is a mystery to all of us as we watch her intently.

"Jay," she exclaims hugging the tall one with dark hair.

"Hey Baby Edwards," he smiles as he hugs her back.

"That nickname was okay when I was 12 but I'm 17 now," she says with a slightly scolding annoyed tone.

"You certainly are," this Jay guy smiles looking her over and I tense up a little. The other guy with them hits Jay's stomach with the back of his hand and Jay stops looking at Clare for a second. "You remember Sean Cameron? You guys me before right?" Jay asks introducing the other boy.

Clare turns her attention to Sean now, we watch as she smiles, blushes then bites her lip shamelessly flirting with the guy. She's not the only one though Sean's eyes have a glint of pleasure in them and he's giving her a big flirtatious grin of his own.

"Yeah met before it was a few years ago at Spin and Em's wedding and before that we met at the alumni football game but you've grown a lot since then." Sean says.

"What are you guys doing here?" Clare asks them.

"Well Sean just moved back to town and started work with me at Tony's today so we thought we'd come have lunch at the old high school haunt. We have to get food to go but the three of us should do something this weekend, your cell number still the same?" Jay asks Clare and she nods. "Cool mines still the same nice to see you Baby…er Clare." Jay corrects himself.

He hugs her, Sean hugs her then they go to the counter to order while Clare joins us at the table again.

"What?" She questions when she sees us all look at her.

"Who are they?" I query but keep my voice down so they can't hear me.

"How do you know them?" Dallas asks.

"How old are they?" Jenna inquires but she's laughing a little as she finds it amusing.

"Uh Jay is I guess 26 now and Sean 25, they went to DeGrassi and I know them through my sister. Well I know Jay because he was best friends with one of my sister's boyfriends but I've only met Sean a couple of times why?" Clare asks innocently.

"Uh because he's eight years older than you and you're flirting with him," Adam laughs.

"I was not," Clare protests.

"YES YOU WERE!" The entire table says together and the rest of the café including Jay and Sean look over at us.

Clare blushes and puts her head down so she's not aware that Jay and Sean are coming up behind her now that they have their lunches. She becomes aware when Jay kisses the top of her head and she puts her head up.

"We gotta get back to the shop but we'll call you tomorrow." Jay tells her.

"See you Clare," Sean smiles.

"Bye Sean," she says with a coquettish smile and bats her eyelashes.

"Flirting, definitely flirting," Adam laughs and Clare scowls at him.

"It's okay Clare Sean was flirting back," Bianca tells her.

"He was?" She asks hopefully.

"Yeah big time your jailbait Edwards," I comment and she scowls at me now.

We spend the rest of lunch asking her about the older boys and entirely forgetting to ask about her stepbrother. We find out Jay and Sean work at Tony's garage and Sean did a stint with the army as soon as he was eighteen which only makes me think of Anya. When we're done eating we all walk back to school together and I go to my locker to get out my backpack, then to my econ class and who do I find sitting at a desk but Clare's new stepbrother Jake. He's sitting in the back so I sit at the desk next to him, it's where Mo usually sits but he'll find another seat.

"So you're Clare's new stepbrother huh?" I state more than ask because I already know the answer.

"Yeah Jake Martin, you a friend of Clare's?" He asks extending his hand and I shake it gripping pretty hard.

"Yeah sure, how well do you know her? You seemed pretty intimate for step siblings in the hall earlier." I remark.

"Her family used to have a cabin near ours, although they hadn't been to it in a while but I've know Clare since she was four. Sweet isn't she? You know given her super skinny stature, glasses, long hair and everything I never would have guessed she'd grow up to be so fucking hot." Jake responds.

"You really think that's an appropriate comment to make about your sister?" I question feeling a great urge to punch this guy.

"Stepsister remember we're not blood related and I was simply making an innocent observation. If you'd known her when she was little you'd never have predicted she'd turn out the way she did." Jake replies with an innocent smile and a shrug.

It sounds innocent enough but after watching him in the hall with Clare this morning and the way she reacted I don't trust him.

**(CLARE)**

"You want to come do homework at our house?" Adam questions as we leave school at the end of the day.

"Yeah sounds…" I'm saying when a car horn cuts me off and I look over to see Mom. "I think I have to go home, maybe tomorrow." I say with a sigh as I'm sure Mom is going to yell.

"Call me later," Adam says as I hug him goodbye.

"I will," I nod before getting in the car with Mom.

"Clare Diana Edwards I am very disappointed in you young lady! How can we start to be a family if you won't even stick around to have breakfast with us?" Mom admonishes as soon as she starts driving to our new home.

"I'm sorry Mom but I had to get to school early this morning." I tell her.

"Well you should have said something last night, Jake could have driven you." Mom says in the same scolding tone.

"Yeah umm Mom about Jake he was in the washroom when I got out of the shower last night and he came into my room when…" I'm trying to tell her when she cuts me off again.

"Oh Clare I know this was a surprise but don't make it more difficult. Look we're all going through a period of adjusting I'm sure Jake didn't mean to walk in on you in the washroom and next time maybe you'll remember to lock the door. Now Jake convinced me not to ground you but straight up to your room for homework and you'll help me make dinner tonight that we will be eating as a family." Mom insists.

I huff and sit back against the seat, well that went great I tried telling my mom my concerns about Jake and she turned it around on me. Mom parks at home and informs me that she'll be finishing her work from home so she can make sure I'm doing my homework. After grabbing a snack I head up to my room to start on homework. Just after I finish Mom knocks on my door to tell me we need to start dinner. Mom's a lot calmer now and we finish dinner pretty quickly with the two of us cooking. The dinner it's self isn't so bad, Mom makes everyone talk about their day though. She and Glen tells us all about their day's at work, Jake talks about his first day at DeGrassi and I talk about my first day back but leave out the part about Jay and Sean because Mom's never met them.

After dinner Jake and Glen do the dishes so I go upstairs to shower and this time I'm sure to lock both doors. Jake doesn't come in this time and given how pleasant our dinner was I'm beginning to think that I was just being paranoid. After getting into my pajamas I call Adam and tell him everything's fine, we had a nice dinner and that was the end of it. I read until I'm tired, check to be sure my bedroom door is locked and the door to the washroom is blocked then turn out my light and get in bed. It's funny but the only thing I can think about as I fall asleep is Sean. I know it's probably just a school girl crush, that he's too old for me and despite what Owen and Bianca said I don't think he was flirting with me, still even thinking about the possibility puts me to sleep with a smile on my face.

In the middle of a glorious dream where Sean and I are lying in the sand at the beach I'm awoken by my shirt being slowly pulled up. For a second my mind fogged by sleep thinks that it's Sean, that we're still on the beach and I'm still dreaming. Feeling the shock of cold fingers caressing up my belly makes me realize it's not a dream at all but very real. The dream fades, my senses come back to me, I sit up with a frightened gasp, my eyes go wide adjusting to the dark room. Jake is giving me a licentious look with a lascivious grin, his whole hand touches my skin now as his other hand grabs my pajama top and tries to pull it over my head.

"Jake what are you doing?!" I demand batting his hand away.

"I told you that you could thank me later for talking your mom out of grounding you." He replies with the most carnally avarice smile I've ever seen.

"Jake stop!" I demand trying to push him away.

His eyes continue to look at me with lust but his grin vanishes as his mouth sets into a thin determined line. Removing his hand from under my shirt he grabs both my arms violently sending a flash of pain through them and pushes me with surprising force back into he bed!

**I will update at some point but the next to get up dated will be Seven Days at Disneyland and then Chapter 2 of Pictures from the Shadows besides of course my regular stories.**


	2. Is It In My Head?

**This story is dedicated to coastiewife465 who requested the Clare/Sean pairing but when I put my list on the profile page lost who made that suggestion and so couldn't dedicate it on the first chapter.**

**Ch. 2 Is It In My Head?**

**(CLARE)**

"Get off of me!" I snap struggling against the force of Jake pushing me into the bed.

It isn't much use though as he's got his hands pinning down my biceps and the best I can do is scratch at his arms a little. I try to kick but he's sitting to high for me to reach and slight as he is he's pushing me into the mattress with incredible strength! So I do the only thing I can think of and that is to scream! I take in a big breath of air to fill my lungs open my mouth wide and start screaming as loud as I can!

"**AGHHH**…" I'm only able to scream for a couple of seconds before Jake Clamps his hand over my mouth.

His hand is clamped not only over my mouth but my nose as well and I'm not able to get any oxygen. My only concern quickly becomes the need to breathe! I grab his arm trying to pull it away so I can get some air but his hand stays fully in place. The seconds seem to drag on as the panic sets in, I can feel tears leaving my eyes and I start thrashing wildly but feel myself getting weaker and weaker! My lungs start to burn, my vision gets blurry and clouded even in the dark room and then my struggling ceases as I succumb to the darkness and go unconscious!

I sit up quickly with a frightened gasp pulling as much air into my lungs as I possibly can. Tears race down my face, I start panting hard and I'm shaking, my eyes are wide trying to adjust to the dark of the room and I'm prepared to scream again but the only person in my room is me. I bound of bed getting a little dizzy at the fast movement and turn on my light but Jake isn't there. I check the closet and under my bed just to be safe but Jake's gone, my bedroom door is locked and the washroom door blocked. I think the shock of finding out my mom up and married Glen Martin is driving me insane. Moving the chair away from the washroom door I go in and across the washroom to the door to Jake's room opening it quietly. Jake is fast asleep in his bed, I close the door again and return to my room but still put the chair in front of the washroom door to be safe.

I must have been dreaming, Jake's behavior yesterday and the jarring trauma of being thrust into a new family and uprooted to a new house it's messing with my head and giving me very disturbing and vivid dreams. I sit on my bed with the light on shaking and trembling but it has nothing to do with the cold. After taking several deeps breaths just to be able to breathe again as well as calm myself down I get out of bed and go downstairs for some water; locking my door again as soon as I'm back in my room and sit on my bed with my knees to my chest, looking around anxiously at every sound that I hear. In spite of the fact that I'm sure it was all a horribly realistic dream I spend the rest of the night in my room with the light on sitting awake. When the sun comes up I go into the washroom for a very long shower making sure both washroom doors are locked. When I get out of the shower I get dressed and then take a long time putting my makeup on so I don't look as tired as I feel. It's tempting to just leave and start walking to school again but I don't want Mom to get mad at me for skipping family breakfast today and I'm sure to get grounded so I go downstairs and start the coffee. Going back upstairs to gather my stuff for school Jake comes out of his room and smiles at me. It's a sleepy sort of goofy grin but it sends shivers down my spine, it doesn't help that he's only wearing boxers.

"Morning Clare," he yawns.

His voice is friendly but graveled by sleep, his smile isn't malicious, his face is soft and his demeanor easy and yet I feel like I can't breathe. While I'm certain that last night was all a dream I find that I'm petrified at the sight of Jake, feeling as though my breath has been stolen from me and an odd but over powering ill feeling sweeps over my body. I say a quick good morning and practically run downstairs.

"Well it's nice to see you waited for the rest of us Clare and thanks for making the coffee." Mom says when I get to the table.

"You okay Clare you seem a little nervous?" Glen asks as I pour myself some coffee.

"Yeah fine I just had this really vivid and realistic dream last night, nightmare actually and it's still on my mind I guess." I reply.

"I've had dreams like that they can stay with you all day, what was the dream about?" Glen questions.

I'm about to reply with the truth but then think better of it for two reasons, number one my mom is sure to rebuke me for making this transition more difficult for having a bad dream about Jake. Number two Glen is Jake's father and he's been nice to me so telling him that I had what I'm sure to be a dream about his only son suffocating me into unconsciousness would undoubtedly make him feel bad and make this whole awkward situation feel even more awkward.

"Spiders, lots of them crawling on me," I lie.

"Oh gosh I hate those dreams bugs are the worst, there are no spiders in the house are there?" Mom asks Glen.

"I don't know maybe a few, I can have the exterminator come by wouldn't want any spiders crawling over Clare in her sleep. I can meet him here in the afternoon; can you and Jake stay out of the house for a couple hours after school?" Glen queries.

"I can go to Adam's and do homework afterschool." I reply.

"Good, how does French toast sound for breakfast?" Glen asks.

"Sounds great," I reply hearing footsteps come galloping down the stairs and a few seconds later Jake appears.

"I love French toast Dad makes the best French toast Clare," Jake tells me as he gets some coffee.

"I'm going to have the exterminator come by this afternoon can you stay out for a couple hours afterschool son?" Glen asks him.

"Yeah sure," Jake shrugs as Mom and Glen start making breakfast.

I'd like to say that the four of us sat around the table and had a happy family breakfast where we made small talk and bonded but I can't. Mom and Glen did most of the talking and most of it revolves around everything they need to do to prepare to leave for their honeymoon the next day. Then Mom says they should have a reception for friends and family that live close by and they start discussing when to have it. I spend most of the time looking at my food as I eat it because every time I look at Jake I get that same odd ill feeling and a shiver in my body. He's not doing anything but eating his breakfast and chiming in on the conversation on occasion. Have you ever been on a dark street on a dark night and you see somebody down the street, they may not look particularly menacing or threatening but you still get that creepy feeling that makes you cross the street to stay far away from them? That's the feeling I have every time I look at Jake or I think he's looking at me.

After breakfast Jake drives us to school in his red truck and tells me that just because our parents are leaving tomorrow doesn't mean there won't be rules and that I have to remember he's in charge. He parks at school and I get out before he's even turned off the engine. As soon as I'm in school I feel like I can breathe that nightmare last night, this whole situation has me spooked and on edge. I need to get a grip or I'm going to go crazy but worry how I'm going to survive a week alone in that house with a stepbrother that gives me the heebie jeebies. Yes I just used heebie jeebies that's how troubled I am and when I feel a hand on my arm I gasp and jump back.

"Sorry Clare didn't mean to scare you," Tris apologizes.

Maya is standing with him and they're both giving me a concerned look, I exhale the breath I was holding and force a smile onto my lips.

"It's okay I was just deep in thought," I tell them.

"In the middle of the hallway?" Maya asks.

I look around to see that I stopped in the hall and I've just been standing there for who knows how long letting my fear take over.

"I uh just got lost in thought," I reply.

"Are you okay?" Tris questions.

"Yeah I'm fine just had this dream last night," I start to tell them and then stop, "never mind I need to get to my locker."

I rush off before they can say anything else but I go straight to math instead of my locker even though there's still fifteen minutes before class starts.

**(ELI)**

"Mr. Goldsworthy since you were absent yesterday when I assigned groups for this project you can work with Dallas and Drew." Mr. Bettankamp tells me when I walk into second period chemistry class.

"Great," I reply with just a bit of sarcasm in my tone. I kind of know Drew but only because he's Adam's brother although I wouldn't say that we have anything in common aside from Adam. Dallas started out as a real jerk but he's gotten better although I wouldn't exactly classify us as friends, maybe mild acquaintances. I sit down and give them a smirk as I look around the room at the other groups and notice a new face. "Who's the new guy?" I inquire nodding to the lanky new kid.

"That would be Jake Martin new kid at DeGrassi and Clare's new stepbrother." Dallas informs me.

"Her what? Her mom got married?" I question as Mr. Bettankamp passes out sheets with our instructions.

"Yep while she was in Nevada with her dad and Clare didn't even know until she got back on Sunday. He seems nice enough but I don't trust the guy and not just because he's into Katie." Drew tells me as we start the experiment.

"So then why not?" I query.

"Some stuff Clare told me and Adam about him coming into her room Monday night because he said he couldn't sleep." Drew replies.

"He did?" Dallas asks and Drew nods. "Owen said he made an inappropriate comment about her and she always seems spooked around him." Dallas adds.

I look back at Jake but he's flirting with Katie and talking to Mo and Marisol. When class lets out I walk straight Clare and Adam's science class just as they're walking out with Connor and Jenna.

"Hey welcome back," Adam says when he sees me.

"Yeah hi, you're mom got married?!" I exclaim to Clare.

"Yeah you meet my stepbrother yet?" She asks rolling her eyes.

"Yeah he's in my chemistry class with Dallas and Drew, I mean I didn't meet him officially but Dallas and Drew tell me you don't like him." I respond as I follow Clare to her locker.

"It's not that I don't like him exactly he's just…we're just adjusting to being a family. They used to live by our summer house it's not as though they're complete strangers and Jake's never had a sibling before." She says but I know the tone she's using it's a tone that she uses when she wants to project everything is fine when it's not. She opens her locker stashes in a couple of books then closes her locker again. "I'm meeting Maya for break see you guys." She says and walks off quickly before Adam or I can stop her.

"Your brother made it sound like the guys a total creep but Clare is trying hard to sound like nothing's really wrong so what do you think of him?" I ask Adam as we start walking to the front steps.

"I never really saw him with her but she was pretty freaked out yesterday morning and he went into her room in the middle of the night I think we need to keep an eye on him." Adam replies. "Hey she ever mention a Jay or Sean to you?" Adam inquires as we sit on the picnic tables outside.

"Not that I recall why are they her stepbrothers too?" I ask back.

"Nope we saw them at lunch yesterday, they're like eight years older than Clare but she knows them through Darcy I guess and she was flirting with Sean. She swears that she wasn't but she totally was." Adam says snickering a little.

"Hold it Clare was flirting with a guy who's 25?" I question in disbelief.

"Yep big time it was kind of amusing," Adam laughs.

"I can't picture that," I remark.

"Yeah well you miss a lot when you miss the first day back from break," Adam replies.

"Apparently," I comment as I watch Clare and Maya walking up the steps into the school together.

**(CLARE)**

The lunch bell rings and I leave civics with Adam, Connor and Dave, the four of us head for the caf to meet Jenna and eat. When my phone rings and I pull it from my purse, Jay's name is on the display so I answer.

"Hi Jay," I say into the phone and the boys all look at me.

"Hey we're getting pizza for lunch come outside," Jay orders.

"Okay," I reply and hang up then turn and start heading for the front door.

"Clare where are you going?" Adam calls.

"For pizza with Jay and Sean be back after lunch," I call back.

When I walk out the front doors Jay and Sean are in a red mustang convertible, an older model from like the sixties but it's in great condition, I'm sure Jay restored it. Owen, Dallas, Luke, Drew and Bianca are on the picnic tables and I see them watching me as Sean gets out of the car and lets me in. The car has a backseat but I sit in the front between Sean and Jay. I also see Jake watching me but I ignore him and smile at Sean and Jay as the latter starts driving. We get to the pizza place and go in, Sean and I get a table while Jay orders for the three of us before he joins us at the table.

The waitress brings us a pitcher of soda and three glasses; Jay pours us all soda and asks if I have a boyfriend. Since I've barely seen Jay in the last three years I tell them no and then spend the rest of lunch telling them about me and K.C. and me and Eli. They both get mad at K.C. when I tell them he left me for Jenna but I assure them we're all friends again. When I start in on my relationship with Eli they really tense up, getting angry and quite protective.

"He wrote a story where he kills you and crashed his car so you would come see him again and you didn't tell me?" Jay asks.

"It was last year Jay; he was grappling with bipolar disorder. He's on meds and seeing a therapist now, we're good friends again so relax." I assure them.

"I really should have been keeping better track of you," Jay says regretfully.

"It's not your job to look out for me Jay and those were just part of the experiences of growing up you couldn't have stopped them. My mom up marrying a guy we haven't seen in eight years giving me a new stepfather and stepbrother while I was spending spring break with my dad, now that would have been good for you to stop." I remark somewhat bitterly.

"Your mom just randomly married some guy?" Sean questions.

"Yeah I mean they aren't complete strangers but I haven't seen them since I was a kid and to come home and find out she'd gotten married and moved us into their house was more than a shock." I tell them suddenly losing my appetite.

"Well if you need to get out for a while you can always hang out with us. In fact we'll hang out Friday night; we can all go to the break room and get some dinner." Jay offers.

"Sounds great but I should probably get back to school now and I'm guessing you guys need to get back to work." I comment.

"Yeah we do," Sean says getting up and pulling out my chair.

They drive me back to school, Owen and the others are still on the picnic table and Eli, Adam, Dave, Connor, Jenna and K.C. are sitting on the steps. Either they were waiting for me to come back or they'd been talking about me or both.

"So Friday night right?" Jay asks as he pulls up to the steps.

"Yep Friday night," I smile.

"And if you want to hang out before that or just need to talk," Sean is saying when my phone beeps, "that's my number."

I look at my phone seeing his number and saving it to my contacts. I smile at Sean and kiss Jay's cheek, I want to kiss Sean's cheek but I really don't know him that well. Today's lunch was the most time I've ever spent with him so I don't know that kissing his cheek would be very appropriate. Sean slides out and opens the door to let me out, when Sean moves I see Eli standing right behind him, he and Sean sort of stare at each other a second.

"Eli this is Sean and Jay," I introduce them.

"Yeah hi," Eli says taking my arm to pull me back from Sean a little.

"So you're the ex that crashed his car," Jay remarks looking Eli up and down.

Now Eli glares at Jay and Sean's still glaring at Eli, Adam comes down the steps to stand with Eli, loyal as always. Although Adam isn't glaring at Jay or Sean, in fact he's smiling.

"You guys should get back to work and we have to go into school so I'll see you two Friday if not before." I insist guiding Sean to sit back in the car.

"See you Clare," Sean says as he gets back in the car.

Jay waves and they drive off; Eli turns to look at me now. He's not glaring at me though; he's got a concerned and curious look on his face now.

"They asked about my boyfriends I had to tell them, I told them we were friends again though." I assure him as I start walking up the stairs.

"What were you doing with them?" Eli questions.

"Having lunch, Jay's like an older brother," I inform him as I walk to my locker and become aware that we have a group following us.

Along with Adam is Dave, Connor, Jenna and K.C. as well as Owen, Drew, Dallas, Luke and Bianca.

"And what about Sean?" Eli questions.

"What are you doing Friday night?" Owen inquires.

"Sean is Jay's best friend I don't really know him that well but he's nice. Friday night we're going to hang out." I reply reaching my locker and opening it.

"Adam said you were flirting with that Sean guy," Eli comments.

"I still don't think I was flirting but even if I was Eli it's not your concern anymore." I tell him closing my locker after putting in a couple of books.

I turn to start walking to class but Eli catches my arm lightly turning me back to him.

"It might not be my concern as your boyfriend anymore but it is as your friend." He argues.

I smile and kiss his cheek. "Well there's nothing to be concerned about Eli, not with Sean. So don't be concerned okay?" I request as the bell rings.

"Fine I'll try but he's eight years older than you can you blame me?" Eli asks as we start walking to class.

I just shake my head because I don't have a response that will put Eli's mind at ease. Us misfits walk into English class and sit at our desks, Eli looks like he has more questions but as class starts I don't have to answer them.

**(OWEN)**

I left econ class headed for my locker, at least until I saw Jake going in the opposite direction of his locker and next class. It may have been morbid curiosity or instinct but either way I followed him, from a distance. He's headed toward the gym and I see Clare walking toward the girl's locker room so she must have gym this period. Jake sees her too and walks a little faster to catch up to her, putting his arm tightly around her shoulders and leaning in to whisper to her. Clare's whole body immediately goes stiff and tight, even with her back to me I can tell she's uncomfortable maybe even afraid. I stay nearby to watch although I doubt if he was going to hurt her he would do it at school. After a couple of minutes he lets go of her and walks off calmly, Clare remains frozen. I walk over putting my hand on her shoulder; she gasps with fear and flinches away from me.

"It's just me," I tell her in a calm voice. "What did he want?"

"He just told me to stay away from Jay and Sean, said he didn't trust them." She replies back in a shaky whisper.

"Are you okay?" I ask her putting my other hand on her other shoulder.

"Yeah fine," she says as the bell rings, "but late for gym."

She walks away from me a few steps and then runs into the locker room. I watch the locker room entrance a few more seconds and then turn to go to civics class. Miss Cosnell reprimands me for being late but I don't get in trouble so I sit down at my desk next to Drew in the back row.

"Why were you late?" Drew whispers to me as Miss Cosnell continues talking.

"Followed Jake, he went to find Clare and whispered something to her again. She tensed up and seemed to be scared. I asked her what he said and she told me he told her to stay away from Jay and Sean because he didn't trust them. She could barely tell me and then she ran to gym. He was talking to her for a couple of minutes, if that's all he said to her he must have done it very slow and threatening to scare her so much." I whisper back turning my head and hiding it behind my book so the teacher thinks I'm listening.

"Well she's coming over to our house to do homework with Adam if you're that worried come over to do homework too. We can ask her about it there." Drew offers.

"Something you'd like to share with the class gentleman?" Miss Cosnell asks.

"No Ma'am," we say in unison but I nod to Drew indicating I'd be coming over after school to do homework.

We made it through the rest of class without talking and when the bell rang left together. We went out to the front to see Clare and Adam waiting, I assumed Dallas would also be going with us since he too lived at the Torres house and we could all fit in my car.

"Hey Luke's coming over," Dallas announces when he and Luke walk out of school together.

"Okay so are Owen and Clare," Drew remarks.

"We can all fit in my car if Clare sits on someone's lap," I reply.

"Mine," all the other boys respond together and then look at Clare.

"I can sit on Adam's lap your house isn't that far." She says taking Adam's arm.

We walk over to my car; Drew takes the passenger seat while Dallas, Luke and Adam sit in back. Clare gets in sitting on Adam's lap and when he assures me she's secure I start driving to Drew's house. I park out front and we all get out going to the front door which Drew unlocks, we stop in the kitchen to get snacks and sodas then go down to the basement. All of us situate ourselves on the sofa, pull out homework and start working.

"So what did Jake say to you before gym class?" I ask Clare after several minutes of silently working.

Everyone else stops working and looks at Clare, she's frozen up again, staring sort of blankly and her notebook, her legs shaking nervously.

"I told you already," she replies after a few seconds.

"He talked to you for too long for him to just tell you he didn't want you hanging out with Jay and Sean because he didn't trust them." I contest.

"He asked me who they were and I told him then he said they were too old for me to be hanging out with them alone. He told me I couldn't hang out with them anymore because he didn't trust them and if I didn't listen…" her sentence sort of fades out as her voice falters.

We wait a few seconds expecting her to finish but she doesn't just bites her lip and starts writing in her notebook again.

"If you didn't listen then what?" Luke inquires breaking the silence.

She looks up at us, her eyebrows squeezed together and rolling her lip between her teeth. "He'd tell my mom, he said if I didn't listen he'd tell my mom." She replies her voice breaking just slightly.

I exchange a look with Drew and see that Adam's giving her a worried look but also looks a little like he doesn't believe her which makes me think this answer wasn't honest. Clare is doing her best to ignore us as she becomes very focused on her homework. After a minute of us all staring at her and her ignoring us we get back to work. Audra gets home and calls that she's home like we didn't hear her coming in then she comes down the stairs to see the six of us. She makes a remark about how it's nice to see us all doing homework instead of playing video games before going upstairs again. We keep working for a short time until Clare reaches forward, leaning far over the coffee table to get some chips and her sleeve moves up on her arm exposing a portion of a dark blue bruise that has the distinct shape of fingers.

"Clare what's that?" I ask. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow to show she has no idea what I'm talking about meanwhile the other guys are looking at her. "On your arm," I clarify leaning over Drew to pull her sleeve up a little more.

It's definitely the shape of a hand, dark blue and covering a good portion of her upper bicep but not encircling the whole bicep so the person probably wasn't grabbing and holding her.

"Fuck," Dallas exclaims.

"Clare what happened?" Adam questions in a worried voice.

Clare doesn't answer; she's just staring at the bruise and doesn't seem to be breathing. I see tears start to crowd her eyes but she's not crying yet. Her eyes are wide, her mouth open and she looks a little pale, she looks almost terrified and sort of lost in her mind as if she isn't aware that the rest of us are here. Adam touches her back lightly and she finally releases her breath, exhaling with a frightened shudder and looking over at her friend just as a tear escapes her eye. She looks down after a second pulling up her other sleeve a little, we can't see because her head is in the way but by the swear word that Adam utters and the terrified inhale Clare makes I'm sure she has a matching bruise on that arm.

"Clare wh…" Adam starts but she can't answer.

She starts breathing rapidly almost hyperventilating, her body starts shaking, she begins to rock slightly and we can now see tears running down her face.

"What's wrong with her?" Dallas asks.

"I think it's a panic attack," Drew says.

Adam puts an arm around her, hugging her tightly. "It's okay Clare you're okay," he says with a soothing tone in an effort to get her to calm down.

Clare is looking straight ahead, her fists clenched, her breathing short, rapid shuddering pants. She's crying, her body shaking and she isn't talking. The others are talking about what we should do. I get up and sit on the coffee table right in front of Clare grabbing her chin softly but holding her still so she'll look at me.

"Clare the bruises on your arms who did that?" I ask her in a stern but calm voice.

"It was a dream; I thought it was just a dream." She replies frantically which doesn't answer my question at all.

"Maybe you should go home," Adam suggests.

Suddenly Clare stops and looks at Adam with an anguished look of fear in her eyes. "NO!" She screams so suddenly and so loudly that we all jump. "No I don't want to go home. I…I'm okay." She says taking a deep breath and gripping the sofa trying to calm herself.

"Did Jake do that?" Adam asks her voicing the thought that just entered my mind.

"He…I…" her words and breath are still shaky and she's just staring at my Ice Hounds jacket. She closes her eyes tight and takes a deep breath, then opens her eyes and looks at Adam. "I thought I was dreaming Adam, I was sure I was but he…he came into my room again last night." She confesses in a quiet trembling voice.

"Again?" Luke and I question.

"He came into my room Sunday night, said he couldn't sleep but he left when I told him to." She informs us.

"And last night?" I ask.

"He didn't leave," she tells us wiping away the tear rolling down her cheek.

"What did he do to you Clare?" Drew inquires worried but with an undertone of anger, not at Clare of course but Jake.

"I don't know I passed out," she tells us.

"What do you mean you passed out?" Dallas queries.

"I mean I passed out and when I woke up he was gone, I felt weird but I thought it had all been a dream." She admits.

"Why was he even in your room?" Luke asks.

"I DON'T KNOW!" She shrieks and starts to cry again.

"I think you better stay the night here," Drew says putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Yeah good idea, we told Mom how your mom went insane and married some guy I'm sure she'll let you stay." Adam nods.

"Yeah I'll sleep over too," I remark.

"We'll go talk to Mom watch her," Adam says as he and Drew get up and go upstairs.

The abrupt and alarmingly loud sound of the doorbell a couple minutes later makes Clare jump grabbing onto me out of fear or instinct or possibly both. She's gripping the sleeves of my jacket tightly; when her eyes meet mine she gives me an apologetic look and releases my jacket.

"Luke your Dad's here," Drew calls down the stairs and Luke starts putting away his stuff.

"I gotta go, see you guys tomorrow," he says standing up.

He looks at Clare like he wants to say something, moves his hand up as if to touch her back or pat her head then seems to rethink this action and puts his hand back down. Luke goes up the stairs and we hear him leave. Dallas looks at Clare a second and then gets up going into the washroom.

"Clare what did he do to you?" I question again now that we're alone.

"I already told you I don't know I passed out." She snaps back sounding a little irritated.

"Clare…" I start but she cuts me off.

"Owen I don't know and I don't want to talk about it anymore." She states firmly.

I know she's upset, actually on the brink of hysterics might be more accurate and I don't want her to have a panic attack so I give in.

"Okay," I nod as the Torres brothers come down the stairs and Dallas comes out of the washroom.

"Mom said you two can sleep over, I'll sleep on Drew's floor and Clare can take my bed. Owen can sleep on the sofa down here or in the living room." Adam tells us as they all sit down again.

"I'll take the sofa upstairs Dallas snores like a freight train." I comment.

"I do not!" He says defensively.

"Yes you do," Drew and Adam say simultaneously and Clare smiles.

She begins to calm down and within an hour it's like she never freaked out. We finish our homework, Audra orders us pizza for dinner and we eat while watching movies. I call my mom to tell her I'm staying at Drew's and then Clare calls her mom which is a much longer conversation bit she does finally convince her mom she needs to spend the night here. Since we weren't planning on staying over we didn't bring anything and Clare brings up that she needs something to sleep in.

"Drew got a pair of pajamas for Christmas last year he never wears, you can wear the top." Adam tells her taking her upstairs.

She says goodnight to the three of us before they go through the door. Drew and I help Dallas clean up the mess in the basement and then we go upstairs. Drew gets me a pillow and some blankets then says goodnight. I make up the sofa and fall asleep pretty quickly but wake up a couple hours later when I hear the fridge open. I hear the fridge close again then the sound of a water bottle opening and turn on the lamp on the side table so I can see who it is. Clare blinks as her eyes adjust to the change of light, when mine adjust I see her standing there wearing a black satin pajama top. They are guys pajamas but I see why Drew doesn't want to wear them, they are not his style. The top by itself however on Clare's shapely body is really sexy. My guy mind starts to wander until she speaks and I pay attention and look in her eyes to avoid looking at her in almost nothing.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you up," she apologizes.

"It's fine but what are you doing up?" I ask.

"Bad dream, came down for some water." She says.

"Bad dream about Jake?" I prompt.

"Goodnight Owen," she responds heading for the stairs again.

I leap over the back of the sofa and block her from going up the stairs. "Clare he hurt you, talk to your mom or the cops or something." I urge her.

"Last time I tried to talk to my mom about Jake she accused me of making this adjustment more difficult than it needed to be. I'm fine okay and I have nothing to go to the cops with but a couple of bruises on my arms and my word against his. Jake could say he was holding me down in bed because I was thrashing around from a nightmare. I'm going to bed." She tells me and then walks up the stairs.

Well I now know two things I previously didn't, number one her mom is a bitch as well as crazy and number two Jake was holding her down in bed which explains the way the bruises are on her arms. It also opens my mind up to a whole realm of sickening possibilities as to what he was doing in her room last night. I lie back on the sofa but it takes me a long time to get back to sleep. I wake up early the next morning when Omar comes down to the kitchen and starts making coffee. I get up and tell him I'm going home to change and get ready for school asking him to tell the other kids I'll see them at school. He says he will and I leave, arriving home just as my family is getting up. After showering quickly and changing, Tris and I get back in my car but instead of driving straight to school we go to the Dot to get breakfast. Tris orders then sees Zig and Cam and leaves me to sit with them. Actually this works out quite well as I see Jay and Sean come in, they go to the counter to order and I approach them.

"Hey Jay, Sean." I greet them and they look over at me.

"Oh hey you're one of Clare's friends we didn't get your names," Sean remarks.

"It's Owen and I need to talk to you two about Clare!"

**Update as soon as I can picking up from here and Owen's chat with Jay and Sean, also including some more Maya and Katie and The Martin's leaving on their honeymoon.**


	3. Lie There and Breathe

**I know it's been a while but this is a long chapter so get comfy.**

**Ch. 3 Lie There and Breathe**

**(SEAN)**

Jay and I go with Owen out to the alley so no one else can hear us. He looks nervous and worried; he shifts and sighs then looks at us before speaking.

"Did she tell you her mom got married?" Owen asks us.

"Yeah while she was away for Spring Break, a guy her mom's knows but they haven't seen for eight years." I reply.

"Yeah and the guy has a son Jake, he's in school with us and I think he's hurting her." Owen confesses.

Jay and I freeze and tense up but our eyes go wide, my fists clench and when I look at Owen I see his are too.

"What do you mean he's hurting her?" I ask with a clenched jaw.

"She has bruises on her arms, bad ones from him holding her down in bed. She told us she passed out and doesn't remember anything. I tried to talk to her but she didn't want to talk." Owen informs us.

"Where is she?" Jay asks.

"She spent the night at Adam's house they should be getting to school soon." Owen replies.

"Good let's go to DeGrassi," I say.

Owen and Jay nod and we go out to Jay's car, Owen looks into the café to tell his brother he's driving to school and follows us in his car. We all park in the lot and go to the steps, Owen looks through the parking lot.

"They're here already I see Drew's car," Owen tells us.

We all start running up the steps but get stopped by an officer at the door.

"You can go in Owen but you two obviously don't go here." The officer says.

"We're friends of Clare's we just need to talk to her." I tell him.

"You can't just come in and talk to a student claiming to be here friends." The officer responds.

"But Officer Turner they are her friends," Owen sticks up for us.

"It doesn't…" Officer Turner starts to say but Jay and I see Simpson and call to him cutting Turner off.

"MR. S!" We holler and he looks over.

Simpson stops and turns to us walking over. "Jay, Sean what are you two doing here?" Simpson asks.

"We need to talk to Clare can you tell Officer Turner to let us in?" Jay requests.

"Clare Edwards?" Simpson inquires.

"Yes Sir it's really important," Owen tells him.

"It's okay let them in they're former students," Mr. S tells Officer Turner and he steps aside so we can come in.

Several students give us weird looks as we walk down the halls as we're clearly too old to be here. We follow Owen because we have no idea where to look for Clare; we find her in J.T.'s memorial garden with Adam, Eli and some other kids.

"Is Jake hurting you?" I ask her as soon as we get in.

She stops talking and turns to look at us, biting her lip and looking at us almost guiltily.

"That's just what I was asking her." Eli comments as we close the door.

"He held me down in the bed and I passed out. That's all I remember, it's fine just everyone please drop it." Clare insists.

She gets up and tries to walk past the three of us which doesn't work of course. I take her by the arms stopping her and moving her in front of me. She bites her lip again; I love how she does that even when she does it nervously.

"We're not dropping it Clare," Owen informs her.

He reminds me of Jay and I in high school and I like him already, I'm sure her other friends are great but I feel like I know Owen cause he's like us and looking at Jay I can tell he feels the same.

"Show them the bruise," says one of the other guys in an Ice Hounds jacket.

"Dallas, Drew, Bianca I don't think you guys met Jay and Sean the other day." Clare says pointing to them and I had seen them all at the Dot the other day.

"Yeah nice to meet you show them the bruises Clare," Drew asserts, I like him too.

Clare sighs heavily, takes off her jacket and pulls up her sleeves revealing two large hand shaped bruises on her forearms.

"FUCK!" Jay exclaims as I gently brush my fingers over one of the bruises.

"No you can't go beat him up and no I'm not going to the cops and you two have met my mother. I passed out, I don't remember anything, I thought him being in my room was a dream and Jake could say he was holding me down because I was thrashing in my bed having a nightmare. It's fine, everyone is making a big deal out of nothing." She tries to assert but none of us are having it.

"Well what the hell was he doing in your room?" I question her just as the bell rings.

"That was the bell we need to get to class," Clare says trying to walk past us but we're still blocking the door.

"Like hell, you're coming with us and you're going to tell us everything." I tell her.

"You two have to work and you can't just take me out of school." She argues.

"We'll cover for you," Adam and Eli say at the same time.

"Yeah and we'll call in sick, I'll talk to Simpson get her out to the car." Jay says handing me his keys.

I put an arm around her back lightly and she doesn't fight me. She turns to wave at her friends and I escort her out to Jay's car opening the door for her to sit in the passenger seat. Once she's in I get in back and set Jay's keys on the driver's seat, Jay comes out a minute later.

"I told Mr. S your mom asked us to bring you home so let's go get some donuts." Jay tells us when he gets in and starts driving. He drives to a drive-thru donut shop and orders us some donuts and coffee then parks in the far corner of the lot. "Now start at the beginning." Jay tells her.

For the next hour she slowly picks at her donut and tells us about her new stepbrother, stepfather and her mom that we already know is a bitch. The only thing I want to do is kill Jake, Clare keeps insisting she doesn't remember or it's fine but I know it's not and I know whatever he was doing in her room was bad. Her mom seems to have gotten worse from what I remember and her stepfather just seems to be totally fucking clueless. When she finishes telling us what happened Monday night there's several moments of silence.

"It's eleven that bowling place we like is open," I suggest deciding that Clare needs some fun and Jay and I need to blow off some steam.

"Yeah good idea," Jay agrees starting the car again and we drive to the bowling alley.

We go in and pay for three games and shoe rental, we each find a ball and Clare goes first. She starts to cheer up after a few turns and then tells us she's going to the snack bar to get some water and asks if we want anything but we shake our heads.

"So you like her," Jay states sitting next to me after Clare walks off and he makes a strike. I just look at him with a slightly guilty look because it's true I really like her. "It's okay dude," Jay says slapping my back lightly, "she likes you too, I can see it and I'm cool with it but she's like a little sister to me so if you break her heart I will break you!" He warns me.

"Yeah I know don't worry I'd never hurt her and she's adjusting to having a new family, I won't even ask her out for a while but I do want to check out this Jake guy." I tell him.

"Yeah you and me both," Jay nods.

"And then break his face with my fists," I add.

"That too," Jay nods but we get quiet when Clare returns and sits next to me.

"We should get some lunch after this," I comment as I get up to shoot the ball.

"I should get back to school," Clare says.

"We'll take you back later but we're getting lunch after this," I tell her.

She bites her lip as she smiles softly and nods, she looks so beautiful and I smile back at her as I shoot the ball making a strike.

**(CLARE)**

"Thanks guys I had fun," I smile getting out of Jay's car near the school so I can ride home with Jake.

"You sure you want to go home? You can always stay at our apartment," Sean offers.

"Thanks but if I don't go home I'll get in trouble." I reply.

Actually I need to go home to see Mom and Glen off or I'll get in trouble. I plan to leave once they're gone and go to Adam's but if I tell Jay and Sean that my mom's leaving tonight I'm sure they won't let me go home.

"Call us if you need us then and if Jake tries anything," Sean tells me and Jay nods.

"I will," I promise as the bell rings.

I kiss Sean's cheek and go around to the driver's side to kiss Jay's cheek then they drive off. With a heavy sigh I walk through the school parking lot to Jake's red truck leaning on the passenger door and waiting for Jake. My new stepbrother appears a few minutes later giving me a smile, not a nice happy good to see you smile but a creepy knowing lecherous smile. His eyes are clouded with this lust and nefariousness. Between his smile and the look in his eye I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and a shiver of trepidation crawls slowly up my spine. Jake doesn't say a word just opens the doors of the truck and we get in. The agonizingly silent ride all the way home makes me ever more anxious and unnerved. I do text Adam that I'm going home and he says to call or just come over if I need to. When we arrive home Mom and Glen are packing bags in the car, we get out and follow them inside.

"We'll be back next Wednesday night we left you money on the table for groceries and emergencies and Jake has his credit card." Glen tells us.

"Emergency numbers are on the fridge Jake's in charge so listen to him Clare and have fun this is a good weekend for you to bond. I love you honey." Mom says.

She kisses me and hugs Jake, Glen hugs us both, they grab the last of their bags and then rush out the door. I hear their car start up a minute later and I look at Jake.

"I'm going to spend the night at Adam's," I tell him.

"I don't remember you having permission to stay at Adam's again," Jake remarks.

"We have a homework assignment to work on," I tell him.

Before he can say anything else I run up the stairs to my room to pack a bag for the night.

"It's rather hot outside you should have some water," Jake says suddenly appearing in my doorway and holding a water bottle out to me.

Without thinking and because I really am thirsty I take the water bottle opening it, drinking about a third of the bottle quickly before setting it on the dresser. Turning to go to my closet I suddenly can't move, I'm very dizzy and my vision is disappearing. I start to feel weak and know that I'm about to lose consciousness.

"What did yo…" I barley get out in a desperate whisper before my body gives way and I begin to fall to the floor!

I feel Jake's arms come around me before I hit the floor and then I'm aware of nothing as I succumb to the blackness!

As I come to and try to open my eyes my head feels heavy and foggy. Trying to move isn't possible and I became aware that my wrists and ankles have been tied to the bed. On instinct I begin thrashing and trying to break free but it only digs the ropes into my flesh more. Feeling a rush of air over my body I realize all my clothes are gone! My eyes finally focus in the darkness of my room and I see Jake sitting on the edge of my bed.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! LET ME GO!" I scream.

To keep me from screaming any more he kisses me. His lips crush against mine so hard my teeth begin to cut into the soft flesh of my mouth. His tongue darts into my mouth going in as far as it can, hitting the back of my throat and I start to choke. He pulls away and I gasp for air getting in one large gulp of air before Jake silences me stuffing my panties in my mouth.

"You shouldn't have been away last night Clare. You shouldn't have ditched school to hang out with those guys after I told you to stay away from them, remember our parents put me in charge. Do everything I say and the next week can go by quickly and we'll have lots of fun. Disobey me and you'll have a terrible week." Jake tells me in a menacing voice.

I scream again although it gets muffles by the cotton fabric stuffed in my mouth. I try fighting my bindings, thrashing and pulling at my ropes but it doesn't seem to do anything but make Jake angry.

"HOLD STILL!" He hollers hitting my hip very hard.

After his hand makes contact with my hip hard enough to sting his hand moves up my body groping at my breast. I scream and start thrashing again until he brutally pinches my nipple twisting it roughly between his fingers.

"I said hold still!" He barks again.

I suck in a desperate agonizing breath and begin to cry. My cheeks become hot by the tears running down them. Jake puts is lips over the nipple he was previously pinching, swirling his tongue around it. I close my eyes and try to disappear into my mind, to pretend like this isn't happening. It doesn't work, not the way I want it to and when Jake's hand travels down my torso and goes between my legs I scream again. His finger curls around going into me and I scream louder, not that it matters it all disappears into the cotton fibers that have been plugged between my lips. His finger moves a little and then his hand moves down so he can go into me more.

My throat is starting to ache from screaming and it's a pointless task so I give up. He flicks his finger around a few more times, he's not taking any care to be gentle and it hurts. Finally he stops sitting up again and then standing, while it's dark aside from the ambient light coming from outside I can see that he's watching me. The next sound I hear is his zipper coming down and thinking he's going to rape me I start screaming as loud as I can manage and thrashing wildly!

"Stop I'm not going to rape you, not tonight anyway but now I'm horny and I need to get off." He tells me.

He says it almost flippantly, as if he just said he was going to get some water. He sits on the bed again and I hear him pleasuring himself, I shut my eyes and turn my head even though it's too dark to see him anyway. This whole thing is beyond humiliating and degrading, I feel like a toy and not a human. Jake starts fondling my breast while he finishes and then I hear him make this big exhale and he kind of collapses on me. After a minute he gets up going to the washroom and I hear the water come on. Then he returns and takes the panties from my mouth and I gasp for air! He unties my arms and legs; I rub my wrists feeling the rope burn on them. Then he leaves my room, I curl up pulling the blanket over me and cry myself to sleep.

My alarm goes off the next morning and I jolt awake. I get up slowly and see that my wrists and ankles have red marks on them. I feel horrible, violated and debased but I won't let it show. I get up and get dressed; Jake is already dressed and downstairs when I get down there.

"Good morning Clare," he smiles noxiously, a shudder of fear and disgust runs through me but I clench my fist and glower at him.

"What you did was wrong, I'm calling our parents!" I tell him picking up the house phone.

Jake rips the phone from my hands and hits my left arm with it using crushing force! The cold plastic colliding with the cotton of my shirt and my flesh with a loud smack! I yelp in pain grabbing my arm and getting slightly nauseous.

"No one will believe you and if you tell anyone next time will be worse! Now do you want to go to school or should I tie you to the bed again and rape that virginity ring off your finger?" Jake threatens his voice growling a little, his eyes narrowed into malicious threatening slits.

"School," I choke out in a terrified voice.

"Good school it is then just remember if you say one word to anyone I'll keep you tied to that bed naked and at my mercy until our parents get home do you understand me?" He questions.

I nod out of pure unadulterated terror; saltwater begins welling in my eyes. He sets the phone back in the cradle and grabs his backpack. I swallow hard and pick up my backpack going to the kitchen to get breakfast.

"Ah no breakfast for you Clare you need to lose some weight you're getting a little fat." Jake tells me grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door with him.

I don't look at Jake for the entire car ride, I'm afraid too and the only thing I can think is that my mother must be insane for leaving me with him. I'm starting to think my mother doesn't care about me at all anymore, she got married without even telling me, she moves us into their house without consulting me and when I tried to talk to her about Jake she accused me of lying. And now she's gone with her new husband and left me in the hands of a sociopathic sadist! When we arrive at school I try to get out of the truck quickly and go into the school but Jake stops me grabbing the back of my shirt and skirt. He pulls me back roughly and I collide with the corner of the truck almost falling onto the bumper!

"Just remember Clare not a word to anyone or next time I won't be so kind," he reminds me.

If he thinks what he did last night was kind then I'd hate to see cruel. I simply nod as my normally snarky comments have been buried under a mountain of humiliation and pain from last night. Jake grins and lets go of me, he turns heading for the school entrance and I wait for him to go in before I start moving at all. I walk quickly into school and knowing I missed all my classes and got no homework yesterday I go to find Adam to find out what the homework was. He's with Dallas by the trophy case; Dallas seems to be telling him that it will soon be filled with Ice Hounds trophies.

"Hi Dallas, hey Adam can I get your notes from Science, Civics and English yesterday and whatever homework there was please?" I ask quickly.

"Yeah sure, I could have given it to you yesterday." He tells me kneeling down and rifling through his backpack. "Here's my notes and we just had to read the next two chapters in our book for English and read chapter 12 in the Civics book answering the questions at the end. What about Jake? Did he come in your room or anything last night?" Adam asks standing again as I put the notes in my backpack.

"Nope," I reply quickly turning to walk away but Dallas blocks my path.

"Clare was Jake in your room last night?" Dallas asks me firmly.

"And why are you wearing long sleeves and jeans on a hot day?" Adam questions.

I should tell him, tell them but the words won't leave my mouth out of fear. Worried what Jake will do if I talk and they won't believe me anyway I just shake my head.

"No he wasn't in my room last night now please move I have two chapters of Tolstoy to read before class starts." I assert pushing on his chest and Dallas moves out of my way.

I walk to the memorial garden and read a chapter and a half before the bell rings. Armstrong gives me the math homework from yesterday and tells me to turn it in tomorrow. I concentrate in class, focusing on the lecture to block out any other thoughts. At morning break I should be with my friends but I don't want to be with people right now I'm too afraid so I retreat to the roof and do my civics homework. I'm quiet in all my classes and will hardly even look at my friends, or anyone for that matter and by lunch they've all noticed and I keep repeating that I'm tired.

"You eating lunch with us Clare?" Eli asks when we're at our lockers after the lunch bell has rung.

"I'm not that hungry and I have math homework from yesterday to turn in." I reply.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Adam asks.

"Yeah I'm sure, Jake wasn't in my room last night I just didn't sleep okay? Will everyone stop asking me that?!" I snap and Adam flinches. "I'm sorry Adam but everyone keeps asking if I'm okay and I'm fine I'm just tired. I got so paranoid about Jake trying to come in my room I didn't sleep well but nothing happened."

"Okay, we'll see you in English." Adam tells me giving me a soft grin and I smile.

Leaving my two best friends I head for the memorial garden to do my homework. After finishing my math homework from yesterday and today I start on my homework for tonight and get most of it done by the time the bell rings. Leaving the memorial garden and heading to class I see Jake talking to Katie, not like he talks to me though he's flirting with her. From what I know about Katie she's controlling, manipulative and seems like a good match for Jake. Maya's complained about her plenty of times, that Katie's mean to her and gets her in trouble a lot. According to Maya Katie's never hit her or anything but I'm not about to admit what Jake did to me so it seems a likely possibility that Katie's hit her before or at the very least been verbally abusive. Jake is not looking at Katie like he does me, he's looking at her with actual interest, the way Eli used to look at me. The way I want to believe Sean looks at me. Jake looks at me like I'm a new toy, an object and not a person, he looks at me with malevolent vile vulgar depravity and he is not looking at Katie with any of these things. A large part of me hopes that they become a couple and he loses interest in doing anything to me yet somehow I doubt even if they start going out Jake will stop. I'm so lost in my head that I don't realize I'm walking past English until Adam grabs my hand and I jump.

"Sorry you were lost in your head and walked right past the door." Adam says.

"It's okay I was uh thinking about this wedding reception my mom wants to have next week." I lie.

Eli comes up and gives me a look before the three of us go back into class. Somehow I make it through the day and when the last bell rings I grab my books and head for the washroom. I want to hide out until Jake leaves but I know this probably isn't a good idea. My arm where Jake hit me earlier is aching and throbbing again, pulling down the neck of my shirt to look at it I see a large bluish purple bruise. It's sort of oval in shape, about four inches across and five inches top to bottom.

"Ow Clare what happened?" Maya asks coming into the washroom.

I quickly fix my shirt and turn for the door walking past her. "I walked into a wall." I tell her quickly leaving the washroom but she follows me.

"That doesn't look like you walked into a wall," Maya counters following me out to the hall.

"I was sleep walking and walked into a wall," I tell her again turning my head to do so and I bump into someone nearly falling back but he catches me with a hand at my back.

"What's going on?" Owen asks still holding me.

"She has a giant bruise on her arm and she's claiming she walked into a wall." Maya informs him.

"Where?" Owen questions narrowing his eyes at me.

"Right by her shoulder on her left arm." Maya tells him.

"Show me," Owen insists.

His voice is clam and kind but his tone firm telling me I probably don't have much choice in the matter. He releases me and I pull my shirt down to show him the very top of the bruise on my arm.

"I was sleepwalking and walked into a wall," I repeat to Owen. He gives me a look to show he doesn't believe me and before I can react he's lifted me over his shoulder. "Owen what are you doing put me down." I demand and a few people in the halls look at us.

"You going to tell me what happened?" Owen inquires.

"I told you," I persist.

"You can call Jay and Sean and tell them." Owen says as he walks out of school with me still on his shoulder.

"I already told you and they're at work, I'm not going to bother them to tell them I walked into a wall." I snap back.

"Owen what are you doing with Clare?" Cam questions as we go up some stairs and I realize we're getting on the Ice Hounds bus.

"She's coming to practice," Owen replies coolly.

"Hot chicks at practice I like this plan," Dallas grins.

Owen sets me down finally and I try to leave the bus however Luke stands blocking my path.

"Sit," Dallas commands.

I'm facing a whole bus of hockey players and I know I'm not going to get off this bus or win this argument. I sigh and sit in the seat next to Owen, the bus driver looks back obviously confused but Cam gets on the bus and he starts to drive.

"So you going to tell us where the bruise came from yet?" Owen inquires.

"I told you I was sleep walking and ran into a wall," I'm not letting this story falter.

"What bruise?" Dallas and Luke ask at the same time.

Owen doesn't say a word just gives me a look, his eyebrows slightly raised and his eyes conveying that I have to show them. Letting out a heavy sigh I pull the neckline of shirt down yet again and show Dallas, Luke and a few other players who turns their heads the top of the bruise.

"Fuck!" Dallas exclaims loud enough that the rest of the bus looks over and I straighten my shirt quickly.

"Jesus Clare!" Luke says with a shocked exhale.

"You're sleeping at our house again," Dallas informs me.

"Dallas I walked into a wall nothing happened," I insist.

"I don't care; neither will Adam, Drew or the Torres parents you're staying call your mom." He instructs.

I call the house and leave a message that I'm sleeping at Adam's, I do feel better knowing I'll be sleeping at Adam's I just hope Jake doesn't come to Adam's to get me. When we get to the arena Dallas, Owen and Luke all tell the coach I'm staying for practice, practices are normally closed but the coach allows it after some argument. I am much more comfortable in the arena in my hot clothes, I was miserable all day at school. I finish my homework while occasionally watching the players run drills. We take the bus back to school after practice and Owen drives us to the Torres house. Audra says it's okay for me to stay again, Adam gives me his bed and sleeps on Drew's floor. The next morning Audra brings me a light blue dress that Gracie got for Christmas for me to wear to school. It actually fits me pretty well, just a little tight around the bust as the four buttons and the material over my breasts is stretched as far as it can go. The dress goes fine with my black ballet flats, even covers the bruises on my forearms and shoulder but not the ligature marks on my wrists and ankles. I am able to cover those with makeup however, so long as no on grabs my wrist or something I should be fine.

"Don't breathe you might pop a button," Dallas says when I go downstairs and Drew smacks him upside the head.

"Oh dear that is a little tight isn't it, would you rather swing by your house and change before I take you kids to school?" Audra asks.

"No!" I snap so suddenly it makes everyone turn to look at me. "I mean the dress is fine and we don't have time to stop." I comment pointing to the clock on the microwave.

Audra takes us to school dropping us off at the entrance, Dallas leaves us for the hockey team a few of which seem to be watching the buttons on the dress waiting for them to pop. Drew leaves us for Bianca but Adam and I walk into our lockers. Eli is at his and eyes my dress when we greet him.

"I slept at Adam's it's Gracie's dress," I explain and Eli nods.

After stowing some books I leave the male misfits to go to the washroom before class. After using the washroom I'm thirsty and go to the water fountain bending down to get a drink just as the bell rings.

"Don't think I didn't see Owen carrying you on the bus yesterday and I know you slept at Adam's." Jake whispers in my ear and I freeze a shiver running up my spine and my breath ceasing in my throat.

I straighten up and look back but Jake is gone, the late bell rings and I run to math class.

"Miss Edwards you are late," Armstrong scolds.

I apologize and he doesn't give me detention, Connor tells me my dress doesn't fit and I shoot him a look. Jake doesn't bother me for the rest of the day miraculously, actually he seems too consumed by Katie as I constantly see them together. Several guys make a comment about the dress, one of the football players even tried to open a button while he was hitting on me, at least until Owen shoved him into the lockers and threatened to break all of his fingers if he did that again. With Jake keeping his distance I actually enjoy the day and when the school bell rings at the end of the day meaning the weekend has begun I leave school with a smile on my face. There's a group converged on the steps and I join them, actually I don't have much of a choice as Owen and Luke sort of grab and me bring me into the group.

"So who's coming to the game tonight?" Dallas asks.

"I'm going with Becky," Adam says.

"Tris and I are coming," Maya speaks up.

"So are me and Drew are you coming Clare?" Bianca questions.

Before I can answer I see Jay's car pull up with him and Sean in the front seat, my smile gets even bigger.

"Sorry guys I'm going to the Break Room to play pool call you later Adam." I tell them walking through the group and galloping down the stairs to the car.

Sean grins getting out and holding the door open for me, I slide in next to Jay putting my backpack in the backseat and Sean gets back in the car.

"Nice dress," Jay remarks as he begins driving.

"It's not mine I slept at Adam's last night." I clarify.

"That explains why your breasts are practically popping out of it. How are things with Jake?" Jay questions.

"Fine," I reply.

"So he hasn't done anything else?" Sean inquires.

"Nope," I respond popping my p and choosing to very quickly change the subject. "How was work, you didn't get in trouble for calling in sick on Wednesday did you?" I ask.

"No not at all but we have to work Sunday now to make it up, no big deal." Jay tells me.

Arriving at the Break Room Jay parks and we get out, Sean holds the door open for me as we go in. There's a free pool table in the back and we grab it, I play against Jay first and lose but he and Spin taught me. Jay plays Sean next and when I comment that I'm getting thirsty Sean gives me money to get a drink. Sean wins their game, Jay goes to get them some beers and I beat Sean but I do think that he let me win. After that we play rotation so that the three of us can play together. As I'm bending down to make a shot two off the buttons pop off the dress, exposing my bra and breasts but I don't realize it until I straighten and several guys whistle.

"HEY EYES TO YOUR FUCKING SELVES!" Jay yells at them.

"Here," Sean says taking off his button up black shirt and putting it on me leaving him in only a wife beater undershirt.

I bite my lip seeing his very ripped chest, every single muscle is sculpted by the shirt. Sean buttons his over shirt over the dress where the buttons pooped off so I'm no longer exposed. I put my arms through the shirt as he ties the bottom around my waist and then he rolls up the sleeves.

"Thanks Sean," I smile kissing his cheek.

He smiles back at me and we return to the game, Jay scores the most points winning the game and we decide to get some dinner. We go down the street to a diner, we're at the diner for a couple of hours in total just hanging out and talking. Adam calls me after the Ice Hounds game since I haven't called him and I tell him that I'm still with Jay and Sean so he tells me he'll call me in the morning. When we're done with dinner and I'm not ready to go home they invite me back to the apartment they share. Their two bedroom definitely looks like two bachelors live there, it's not very clean but not a pigsty either. There's a neon beer sign on the wall and it's sparsely decorated. For a long time we sit in the living room and watch TV for a while, around two AM the three of us get tired.

"You want to sleep in my bed? I can sleep on the sofa," Sean offers.

"No the sofa is fine for me," I reply.

"Shut up and sleep in Sean's bed, he'll take the sofa like a proper gentleman." Jay insists.

"Okay I guess I'll sleep in your bed then, do you mind if I sleep in your shirt?" I ask him.

"Let me get you a clean one," Sean says.

"I'll set up the sofa," Jay remarks as I follow Sean back to his room taking my purse with me.

Sean gets me a clean t-shirt and grabs one of his pillows, telling me goodnight before leaving the room. Taking off his shirt and Gracie's dress along with my bra as I already took my shoes off I slip on the t-shirt and get in Sean's bed. It's permeated by his scent and I inhale it like fresh mountain air. I fall asleep with a smile on my lips but it doesn't remain there, Jake manages to invade my dreams and I wake up panting, with tears on my face. Sitting up in the bed it takes me a minute to realize where I am, it's smelling Sean's scent on the sheets that brings my memory back. The nightmare was disturbing but Jake's not here, I am however in need of water and quietly leave Sean's room navigating my way in the unfamiliar dark apartment to the kitchen I find the fridge. Opening it and squinting at the light, I see no bottles of water but one of the pitchers that filters which means I have to find the cups.

"Clare?" Sean asks coming into the kitchen.

"Sorry didn't mean to wake you I just wanted some water." I apologize.

He moves past me, I see by the light of the fridge that he's clad only in boxers and I bite my lip. He gets down a glass and pours me some water then gently putting hand at my back he escorts me back to his room.

"Are you okay?" He queries after pulling the covers over me and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yes I'm fine I didn't mean to wake you up," I reply before taking a sip of water, he starts to get off the bed and I catch his arm. "Will you stay with me; I mean sleep in the bed." I request and can hardly believe the words are leaving my own mouth but I feel tremendously better with him close and I'm hoping that if he stays it'll keep Jake from invading my mind.

"Yeah of course, you sure you're okay?" He questions getting in the bed next to me.

"Yeah I just had a bad dream and woke up in an unfamiliar apartment," I respond and it's true, I'm simply leaving out what the dream was about.

I take a few more sips of water and set the cup down; lying down next to Sean and feeling his warmth next to me I quickly fall asleep again. The ringing of my phone rouses me several hours later and I realize I've somehow migrated into Sean's arms, my head on his chest. I lift my head up a little to look at him; he wakes up and smiles at me handing my ringing purse to me from his side of the bed. He's not pushing me from his arms and in fact tightens them around me so I stay exactly where I am, lying my head on his chest again as I fish my phone from my purse and see Adam's face flash on the screen just before I answer.

"Hi Adam," I yawn.

"Hey everyone's going to breakfast want to come?" He asks.

"Who's everyone?" I inquire.

"What's up?" Sean asks his voice deepened and graveled by sleep reverberates through his chest.

"Where are you?" Adam questions obviously having heard Sean.

"Jay and Sean's I spent the night," I inform him.

"Oh," he replies slowly, "well everyone is everyone, me, Drew, Dallas, Owen, Bianca, Eli, Becky, Luke, Cam, Maya, Tris, Jenna, Connor, K.C. and Dave." Adam enlightens me.

"Sure I'll call Jenna and ask her to bring me some clothes." I tell him.

"Okay, uh Jay and Sean can come too we're meeting at Polly's Pancakes in half an hour." Adam says.

We bid each other goodbye and hang up, I'm very happy where I am but I just told Adam we were meeting them for breakfast.

"Everyone's meeting for breakfast and Adam wants us to come." I tell Sean lingering in his arms as long as possible.

"Well I guess we should get up and put some clothes on then." Sean says.

Reluctantly I sit up leaving his arms and I feel cold as soon as I do. Once I'm sitting Sean gets out of bed, instinctually I bite my lip seeing him in nothing but boxers again. He pulls on some jeans and tells me he's going to go wake Jay, once he's out of the room I text Jenna.

**Clare: Coming to breakfast can I borrow a change of clothes, haven't been home yet.**

**Jenna: Yeah sure. Sleep at Adam's again?**

**Clare: Nope I'll explain at breakfast.**

Well Jenna will bring me clothes but I still have to wear something to the restaurant so I put on my bra and the blue dress again. I quickly cover the red marks on my wrists and ankles with makeup before Sean returns. Of course the dress is now missing two very important buttons but Sean returns to the bedroom to finish getting dressed, after knocking of course.

"Can I borrow another shirt to cover the dress, my friend Jenna's bringing me some clothes but I need something to wear until we get there." I explain.

He puts on a black t-shirt and smiles at me taking another button up from his closet but this one has short sleeves. I button a few buttons and tie the bottom of the shirt, slipping my shoes back on and once the three of us are ready we leave.

"What are you wearing?" Drew inquires when we enter the restaurant.

"Some of the buttons came off the dress at the pool hall last night, Sean gave me his shirt to cover myself with and since I slept at their place last night I borrowed another one of Sean's shirts to cover the top of the dress again so that the whole restaurant wouldn't see my boobs." I enlighten him and the others that have arrived.

"Hey Clare I brought you some clothes," Jenna says walking in with K.C. and a bag in her hand while the others are just staring at me and Sean.

"Thanks Jenna," I smile taking the bag and walking back to the washroom followed by her, Bianca and Maya.

I'm sure Becky would have followed as well but she and Luke hadn't arrived yet. I go into a stall so I can change; Jenna brought me a light yellow sun dress and even thought to bring me a fresh pair of panties. She and I are the same size so I know the clothes will fit.

"So you spent the night at Sean and Jay's huh?" Bianca questions as I'm changing.

"Yeah but nothing happened Sean slept on the sofa and I slept in his bed, until I had a bad dream and then he slept in the bed with me but we just slept." I tell them coming out of the stall and Jenna zips me up.

"I can't believe you stayed over," Jenna remarks as I neatly fold Sean's shirt.

"I was hanging out at their place and it got late. Thanks Jenna I just didn't want to go home and grab clothes or see Jake." I tell them almost under my breath as we leave the washroom.

"Actually Jake and Katie are going somewhere tonight. Our parents are actually letting her stay away with him for the night and they just met him yesterday. They'd never let me do that, she said something about a lake or something I don't know I wasn't really listening but anyway he won't be at your house tonight." Maya informs me as we see that we got seated and sit at the table.

"_Thank god, I'll have an empty quiet house tonight and can actually sleep in peace. It will be so nice to have the house to myself." _I think as I sit in the empty seat next to Sean that he saved for me.

I assume Sean explained that he slept on the sofa and possibly that he only slept in the bed after I had a nightmare as no one is glaring at him or looking at him suspiciously and not giving me shocked expressions. After eating and dividing up the bill we decide to go downtown, we walk around for a while eventually ending up in the arcade but given that our group is 90% male this isn't too surprising. Eli and Adam disappear into a corner to the arcade version of a game I know they both own at home. Tris and Cam are playing air hockey while Maya is cheering for both of them. Connor, K.C. and Dave are shooting baskets at one of the basketball games while Dallas, Drew, Owen, Luke, Jay and Sean have taken over all the skee ball games and seem to be aggressively competing.

"Is it me or did all the alpha males gather together?" I remark pointing to the group.

"Yeah they all gathered together, like minded male brains this could be dangerous." Bianca comments as Owen gets a ball in one of the 100 point hoops and celebrates loudly.

"I'm betting they're going to keep competing we might have to drag them out of here." Jenna observes as Dallas wins skee ball and they all start talking about laser tag.

"At least Adam's not competing but we will have to drag Luke out of here," Becky says.

"No Adam's competing with Eli but we won't have to drag them out." I clarify.

The alpha males have now disappeared into the laser tag area, the male misfits have stopped playing video games, Adam has returned to Becky putting an arm around her waist and Eli is leaning an arm on my shoulder. Connor, Dave and K.C. have also returned to us Connor having won the basketball challenge and Jenna congratulates him with a kiss. Maya, Cam and Tris comeback to us and not so surprisingly Cam won at air hockey. Knowing the alpha males will be in the laser tag area a while the rest of us decide we're hungry again and leave the arcade for the hotdog stand across from it. We all get food and sit at a couple of nearby tables, we're nearly done with our food when phones start going off; mine, Bianca's, Becky's, Adam's and Tristan's phones all either ring or alert us to a text message.

"That would be our alpha males wondering where we've gone," I remark before looking at the phone, sure enough it's Sean asking where we are.

They grab food and join us sitting at another table and they begin talking or continue talking, it's all about sports, girls and cars typical alpha male talk and I have a huge crush on one of them. Well at least Sean and Jay are getting along really well with Owen, Drew, Luke and Dallas so I doubt there will be any more questions or worries about me spending time with them. Well maybe from Eli but he'll come around when he knows Jay's just as protective as he is and Sean won't hurt me. We spend a couple more hours together before the group starts to break up. Adam invites me over for dinner and I hug Jay and Sean goodbye riding in Drew's car to their house. Adam tells me he likes Sean, Dallas says Jay's coming to their next game and Drew tell us Jay and Sean are going to teach him to change his oil and stuff.

"Thanks for dinner Audra it was delicious but I should get home," I announce when dinner is over.

"Are you sure? You could stay here again," Adam offers.

"No I'm not kicking anyone out of their bed again and Maya told me Jake and Katie are gone." I tell them.

The Torres brothers and Dallas all look unsure but they don't stop me from going home. Adam says he'll call me tomorrow and to come over if I need to. I tell him not to worry and promised Sean and Jay I'd call them if I needed them. I'm just looking forward to going home and being in a quiet house all night. I walk down the street to my new house, the lights are all out and I don't see Jake's truck. Unlocking the door I go into the house turning on the light and locking the front door. Ascending the stairs to get to my room I hear voices, I realize Jake and Katie are home I freeze not even breathing. Then I start walking again because Katie's here and Jake wouldn't attack me with Katie here right? I'll just lock my door but I'll sleep in clothes and have a bag ready in case I need to escape to Adam's house. Going into my room I lock the door and start packing a bag to be prepared.

"Where were you last night Clare?" Jake suddenly asks from the washroom doorway to my room.

I jump a little but again Katie's here so I think I'm safe. "I slept at a friends," I tell him crassly.

"You should have called, our parents left me in charge." He replies his tone becoming malicious.

"Go to hell I don't have to tell you anything!" I snap back at him.

I turn away toward my bedroom door ready to just go right back to Adam's when Jake grabs me by the left arm right on the bruise from where he hit with the phone. He grips down with extreme force like a vice, an extreme sharp pain runs up my arm through my body and I feel nauseas.

"OWWW!" I scream out in agony my cry is shrill and sharp.

Jake tosses me and I get caught by Katie, she takes my arms and twists them behind my back, I'm hit with an extreme wave of pain.

"I'm in charge Clare and you have to learn that, hold her tight." Jake says to Katie with a terrifyingly malevolent look.

"LET ME GO, GET OFF OF ME!" I scream trying to fight Katie but it only hurts my arms more.

"We better gag here, someone might hear." Katie remarks sounding just as malign as Jake as she puts her hand over my mouth, I bite down as hard as hard as I can on Katie's hand drawing blood. "OW stupid bitch!" Katie screams taking her hand away, twisting my arms harder and then digging her nails into the back of my neck!

I start to scream but Jake gags me with a pair of stockings, tying them tightly around my head. My scream gets lost in the nylon as it begins to soak with my tears.

"You're going to have to learn to listen Clare and do as you're told. Now let's get that dress off." Jake remarks.

I try and scream again but it's useless and thrashing in Katie's arms only hurts more. Jake reaches around unzipping my dress pulling it down and ripping it at the sleeves and the thought that I owe Jenna a dress goes through my mind. He cuts the sleeves that have been torn off the dress with scissors and then my bra and panties. I'm still trying to fight, trying to kick but Katie keeps twisting my arm more and I stop when I feel like I'm going to vomit. I'm taken to the bed, my wrists are tied and then my ankles, Jake does this while Katie sits on my stomach and makes sure that I hold still.

"We'll be back in the morning," Jake tells me.

Katie is laughing manically; they leave my room closing the door as they go. I hear Jake talking to Katie in a flirtatious voice; as if I didn't feel nauseous enough as it is hearing him flirt with her after abusing me makes me even sicker. I hear them going into his room, my tears won't stop but I can't scream, wouldn't do any good even if I could as it just gets muffled by the gag. I breathe deeply trying to control the pain and my tears. No one knows where my new house is; everyone thinks Jake and Katie are away for the night. I'm tied to my bed at the mercy of two sociopathic sadists in the next room who might return to my room at any minute and all I can do until morning is hope they release me and I can escape to Adam's or Sean and Jay's.

**Update as soon as I can starting the next morning**


	4. Gonna Teach You Right

**I know you've been waiting and here it is. Okay first the warnings even though I swear I shouldn't have to do this still.**

**WARNING! This chapter is graphic and not happy. If you don't think you can stomach it skip it or skim it. It contains possible trigger warnings. **

**You have been warned so don't yell at me if you read it and find it offensive.**

**Ch. 4 Gonna Teach You Right**

**(CLARE)**

I didn't sleep all night long, I couldn't. Every time I tried I would hear Jake and Katie in his room, fear that they were coming into my room again a rush of adrenaline would flow through me with the fear and I'd be wide awake again. Or I'd close my eyes and then I'd feel Jake's breath on my skin or hear his voice in my room and my eyes would snap open. They never did come back in my room that night but I still couldn't sleep. Anytime I moved the ropes would dig and scrape at my flesh. My shoulders ached for a long time and then went numb. I cried a lot, my face, the gag and the sheets beneath me became soaked by my tears, my mouth became dry as I became dehydrated and eventually my body no longer had the strength to produce tears. For a short time I thought about Sean and my friends but that became too painful. For an even shorter time I hoped that by some miracle one of them would come and save me but that thought died out quickly because of course there would be no miracle, there was no such thing as miracles. My faith died during that black night, it had wavered many times before but I had always held onto it, through everything else but not anymore, not through this. Long before the bright morning sun banished the dark night my faith was entirely gone because no god could ever have a plan that involved me being bound to my bed, gagged, abused and molested. No religion, no faith on this planet could rationalize this kind of humiliation and debasement. All the faith I had was cried out with my tears and bled out as the bindings cut into my skin. I had no faith left by morning but when Jake and Katie did return to my room I still had some fight in me.

"Morning Clare, you don't look like you slept very much. What a pity we slept great." Jake said smiling at me with a vilely lascivious grin.

He was dressed in nothing but boxers and Katie was wearing one of his shirts, I guessed that she had nothing on underneath it. They stood at the end of my bed, he had an arm around her waist and she had both her hands resting on his shoulder. She was smiling just as much as he was, in the same sadistic way and the look in her eyes was a mix of pleasure and lust, I knew that she was just as sick as he was at that moment. Jake came over pulling the gag down, I took in a deep breath and began to choke.

"Untie me you psychotic sickos!" I demanded.

"Name calling Clare that isn't very nice," Jake scolded and then looked at Katie. "Her lips look dry get her some water." Jake demanded.

She left the room and he looked at me again. He didn't say anything but his fingers began brushing roughly over my skin.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed with what strength I had.

Jake's eyebrows came to a point above his nose, his eyes narrowed, his mouth went into a menacing straight line and his features became hard and thin. His hand left my skin only to clamp down on my breast with excessive force! I started to scream and he clamped his other hand over my mouth.

"There are a few things we need to teach you today, one of them being not to scream at me!" Jake growled in a malicious tone as he pinched and twisted my nipple again.

He released my breast as Katie came back in holding a water bottle with a straw in it. Jake took it and released my mouth, holding the straw to my lips. I didn't want anything from them but I desperately needed water so I sipped at it. Jake took the bottle away after a few sips setting it on my nightstand.

"Let me go I won't say anything," I try when Jake sets the water down.

"Now see I don't believe you Clare, I think the first thing you'll do is run to Adam and his idiot brother or one of those Ice Hounds or those pedophile's you call friends whose names escape me at the moment." Jake tells me while putting the gag back on my mouth so I can't tell him that Jay and Sean are not pedophiles. "Besides I told you we had to teach you some things and your lessons haven't even begun yet." Jake says, his voice dropping an octave with lecherous lust and the look on his face becoming more and more depraved.

Jake left my room and Katie was looking at me with a warped wicked excitement in her eyes. Jake returned with part of a fishing pole, the top part to be exact, I got a tightness in my chest knowing whatever his plan it couldn't be good but not understanding what he could possibly need part of a fishing pole for.

"First of all Clare no more spending nights away from home and away from me, not at Adam's house, not at anyone's." Jake commanded bending the fishing pole back from the top with his fingers then he let it go, it made a swooshing sound and then thwack as it hit my skin just above my belly button! I screamed into my gag as a stinging pain radiated from the spot where it hit. My body lurched of it's on accord, twisting and contorting in an effort to get away from the pain. I sucked in what breath I could through the gag as fresh tears broke from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. "You are never to talk about what happens in this house, to anyone Clare. If you even think about trying to tell someone anything about this house remember that no one will believe you and remember this pain." Jake says his voice somewhere between a malign growl and a lustful husky tone.

Then he bent back the fishing pole again releasing it, this time it hit with a sharp stinging pain on my left breast, the one he hadn't squeezed like a vice earlier. I screamed again and before I was done he did it again hitting across my belly.

"I want to try, let me do it." Katie said her tone excited like a child about to get an ice cream cone.

"Aim for her nipple that will be a pain she won't soon forget." Jake replied with a lewdly sadistic and vulgar smile as he handed Katie the fishing pole. "You need to learn Clare that you are nothing, less than nothing." Jake growls as Katie releases the fishing pole, it hits my breast over the nipple, I scream again, lurching and choking on my own breath and tears. Katie starts to bend the fishing pole back again, I braced for another hit but Jake stopped her. "No too many at a time it will send her into shock and if we kill her she won't learn anything and we can't play with her." Jake informs Katie taking the fishing pole. "We'll return after breakfast I'm famished." Jake tells me and then my phone beeps, Jake takes it from my purse and looks at it. "Adam wants to know if you want to come over and watch movies." Jake says and then starts typing a reply. "Sorry Adam, not feeling well, stomach flu, see you in school. And send; now that should take care of your obnoxious friend. Let's go eat Katie Bug."

As if I didn't feel sick to my stomach as it was his pet name for her and the flirty way in which he says it makes me want to puke all the more. They leave my room and I hear them on the stairs. It's all I can do just to breathe, lying there taking several deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves and my body. Trying not to choke on my gag, my tears and the bile that rises in my throat as Jake's words repeat in my mind, echoing in a torturous loop that I can't seem to shut off. My heart pounds in my chest shaking my ribs, my skin shivers on pin pricks and the pain from the lashes with the fishing pole have not dissipated even the slightest. I can see welts beginning to form, deep red welts that burn and smart, throbbing along with my pounding heart.

"We're running out to do an errand Clare, don't go anywhere we'll be right back." Jake tells me as he peeks into my room after they've eaten then they walk into his room.

I haven't eaten since last night but I don't feel hungry, only ill. I hear them in his room and then in the washroom, I can see them too as neither one closes the door to my room. When they are ready I hear them leave the house. The thought that this is my chance to escape crosses my mind but escape is not a possibility, I can scream until my voice tires and disappears and no one will hear me. My bindings are too tight to break out of and if I thrash they cut into my already raw flesh. Knowing Jake and Katie are now gone exhaustion overruns everything else and my weakening body slips into a needed sleep.

"Wake up Clare," Jake says in a taunting voice as he takes down my gag. "Feeling better now that you've slept?" He asks as Katie holds the water for me to drink.

I take a couple sips of water before she takes the bottle away, Katie sets it on my nightstand then brushes her fingers on my face and I turn my head.

"Her skin is very soft, how do you make it so soft Clare?" She asks. In response I spit at her, since her face was very close to mine a small portion of it lands on her skin. "Stupid bitch spit at me!" She squeaks raising her hand to hit me, I close my eyes and turn my head bracing for the sting of her strike.

"No no," Jake stops her grabbing her wrist. "Not on her face or her neck, no where that she can't cover with clothing. Makeup cannot thoroughly cover a bruise, it wears off and if someone gets close enough they might see. Visible bruising leads to unwanted suspicions even if she's learned not to talk." Jake enlightens Katie, his cold tone and the knowledge he possesses about this sends a chill up my spine.

"But the ropes have cut into her wrists don't you think people will notice that?" Katie points out as Jake puts my gag back in place.

"She just has to wear long sleeves and if someone sees then it's easily explained away. She should be disciplined for spitting at you, that was rude and another thing she needs to learn. Just do it somewhere no one will see, like her inner thigh." Jake suggests with an evil and noxious grin.

Katie adapts nearly the same grin and gets on the bed between my legs. I yell through my gag but of course it's all muffled and they can't hear what I'm saying.

"She's squirming too much," Katie pouts.

"Hold still Clare or I'll shove my whole fist up that virgin pussy of yours," Jake threatens and I become very still as I choke on frightened breath!

The next thing I feel is Katie digging her nails into the flesh of my right inner thigh, her nails sink in and then she scratches down my thigh a few inches. She goes slow and my scream gets louder and louder the longer she scratches until my voice begins to break.

"Next time you spit at me I'll do that in your pussy you little bitch." She snarls at me.

I cry a few more tears and my body begins trembling from fear, disgust and shame.

"You see Clare you are nothing more than an object and you exist only for us to play with. No one else cares about you, your mother knew what I was going to do while our parents were gone and she still left you here with me because her happiness is more important than your pathetic life." Jake tells me.

I don't know if my mom really knew what Jake intended to do or not but she does seem to care about herself more than me.

"I want to hurt her some more I like it when she screams! Maya doesn't scream like that and my parents won't leave me alone with her long enough to hurt her and anytime I do she tells on me." Katie pouts and for a moment I'm more afraid for Maya than myself, if I'm ever released I have to get Maya out of her house.

"That's because you have to learn to break your sisters spirit first and control where and how often you wound her. If she's too afraid to talk then she won't tell. Why don't you get out the toy we bought," Jake says to Katie and my stomach knots in fear at what the toy might be. Katie grins and I hear the rustling of a plastic bag as Jake looks at me with a sadistic light in his eyes and malicious smile. "If anyone sees the marks on your wrists or ankles then you will tell them they're self inflicted do you understand Clare?" Jake asks.

All I can do is stare at him in furious disbelief that he thinks I'm going to tell anyone I tied my own wrists and ankles.

"She isn't answering," Katie remarks as she holds my right breast and something cold is placed on either side of my nipple.

Shivering as a cold metal chain hits my skin, draping over my belly as my other nipple also gets lightly pinched between something cold. I try and fight but my body is weak and the more I twist and contort the more everything hurts so I give up.

"Are you going to tell anyone that sees your wounds that you hurt yourself Clare?" Jake asks again taking down my gag so I can speak.

"Go back to hell you sadistic bastard!" I spit at him making sure each letter is dripping with venom.

He looks displeased and replaces the gag. "You're more stubborn than I thought and that was the wrong answer, you really should stop with the name calling it's very immature. Katie Bug tighten the nipple clamps all the way, now where did that pole go?" Jake questions looking around the bed.

Katie's sadistically pleasured smile returns to her face, curling up in a darkly mischievous grin. Her hands grasp the clamp on my right nipple, already sore after Jake twisted it, and she tightens it. I scream as my nipple gets squeezed, the pain is agonizingly sharp and my nipple begins to throb. Then she does the other and I scream again, Jake picks up the pole and doesn't even bend it back, he simply whips it through the air, as soon as it hits my skin he brings it back up and does it again in rapid succession. I lose count after the first few times and begin shaking as my whole body stings with unbearable pain. My torso and thighs are hit several times, a couple of times the pole catches on the nipple clamp chain yanking at it. The afflicting torturous pain quickly became overwhelming to my weakened body and in an act of self preservation my mind forces me into the alleviating dark of unconsciousness.

I dreamt while I was out, lovely dreams where I was safe in Sean's arms. Dreams where Jake and Katie had never hurt me, where I didn't have to hide my bruises and battered body under clothes and lies like I know I will have to do if I'm ever released. The one I remember best, the one that lingered on my mind after I was awoken started with me and Sean in a field near a stream in the middle of nowhere. He's lounging on the grass, propped up on one arm and one leg bent and I'm leaning against him, his other arm around me, our fingers interlaced, his lips softly and lovingly kiss my neck. One by one my friends appear in a circle around us, first Adam, then Owen, Jay, Drew, Bianca, Eli, Dallas, Luke, Becky, Cam and Maya together, Tris, Jenna and finally K.C. all of them appearing in our happy little heaven.

I wake up when I feel my nipples being released from the clamps, relief from the pain brings me back to reality but Sean isn't with me, my friends are not with me. I am alone, alone with two sadistic psychopaths that are probably more dangerous because they found each other. It's dark outside now and there is only one light on in my room, it casts an eerie glow on my tormentor's faces.

"You slept a long time Clare, it's after dinner now. Let's try this again, if you don't give the right answer you'll only be met with more pain so what are you going to tell people if they see your wrists?" Jake asks me taking off the gag.

My mind is weak and foggy, still struggling out of the black of unconsciousness and pain. My throat is dry and my voice is weak, speaking is difficult. I clear my throat trying to answer and can't seem to get a single syllable out as my mouth has difficulty forming the words.

"Speak up Clare I can't hear you or do I need to put the nipple clamps back on you? It would be nice to see the chain bounce as I raped you." Jake threatens in a cold and maniacal tone as Katie squeals happily at this thought and claps her hands in excitement.

"I…I hurt myself," I choke out quickly because I'm certain he'll follow through with this threat.

"See you're learning," Jake says patting my head in a condescending manner like I'm some trained puppy. "Give her some water," Jake instructs Katie. "You can tell them you were upset about your mom getting married."

Katie holds the straw to my lips and I drink several sips before she takes it away again.

"Untie me," I plead.

"I don't think so, I'm keeping you out of school tomorrow and just to be sure you don't get any of that silly fight back I'm leaving you tied for the night." Jake informs me.

"People will come looking for me, Adam will…" I start to argue and Jake cuts me off.

"Will do nothing, do you think I'm an idiot? I've been texting with Adam all day; of course I've been using your phone so he believes he's been talking with you. He thinks you have the stomach flu. He's very caring, even offered to come be with you so you wouldn't be alone while sick. I replied or rather you replied that was sweet but you were just puking and sleeping and didn't want him to come over and witness that. He didn't think to ask for your address but he does text every couple of hours to check on you. I imagine he'll do the same tomorrow and I'll text him from your phone again that you're resting and will be back in school on Tuesday. Now come Katie Bug let's go into my room and have sex on my bed, somewhere Clare can see us so she knows just what I'll be doing when I take her virginity tomorrow." Jake says taking Katie's hand.

"No…" I say in a weak voice as I begin to cry again at the thought of Jake's plans for tomorrow.

"Oh yes Clare tomorrow I will take that ring off your finger after I take your virginity." Jake taunts in a sinister voice.

He and Katie go into his room, he leaves the doors connecting our rooms to the washroom open and they start having sex. I can't bear to look at them but I can hear them, the moans and sounds being emitted from Katie, the squeaking of his bed springs, the soft thudding as his bed hits the wall, Jake's grunts, the flooshing sound it makes every time he enters her and the clapping sound of their bodies colliding. All I can think is that he plans to do such a thing to me tomorrow when I should be in school with my friends and my tears flow like waterfalls again. When they finally finish after what seems like a long time Jake walks into my room naked to turn off my light.

"Goodnight Clare, I think I can leave off your gag but you have to promise not to scream can you promise?" Jake inquires.

"I promise," I blubber.

"Good, just remember I'm a light sleeper and if I hear you scream I will come in here and after I take your vaginal virginity I'll take your anal virginity with the nipple clamps on as tight as they can go and I'll give Katie the fishing pole to whip you as much as she pleases is that clear?" He questions with a threatening vicious tone.

"I won't scream," I assure him.

He leaves my room, leaving me alone in the dark with only ambient light filtering in. It was hard to believe I'd only been held captive for approximately the last 24 hours. I'd heard about things like this on the news or those true crime shows. Everyone has I'm sure, but I wasn't being held in a basement or cabin or bunker, I was being held in my own room by my own stepbrother and his girlfriend not some stranger. I was bound, nude, wounded, crying and shaking. I'd been hurt and humiliated into breaking; my faith had died the night before, a part of my spirit died that night and for the second night in a row I didn't sleep.

**(ADAM)**

"Hey you guys here from Clare?" Bianca asks us when Drew, Dallas and I get to school Monday morning.

"I've been texting her since yesterday, she's home with the stomach flu." I tell her.

"She's not home with Jake is she?" Owen inquires coming up behind me and making me jump.

"No Jake's away with Katie, I offered to come over but she told me it wasn't necessary and she was just puking and sleeping." I tell them.

"Gross," Tristan comments.

"Katie and Jake are at some lake she called last night and said they wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning and they'd come straight to school. Of course my parents said that was just fine because Katie's their little princess and gets to do pretty much whatever she wants" Maya informs us with bitterness in her tone.

"Have you been in touch with Clare this morning?" Owen questions.

"Yeah I texted her on the way to school, and she texted me back. She said she isn't throwing up anymore but she's still feeling sick and very tired so she's going to sleep as much as she can. She told me she was turning off her phone and would text me around lunch." I enlighten them.

"Good cause if Jake shows up I'm going over there to get her she can sleep at my house." Owen tells us.

"She can sleep at our house too but Adam's been texting her every couple of hours. We all offered to go over there or come get her if Jake showed up again." Dallas speaks up.

"Hey speaking of which do we even know where her new house is?" Drew asks a question that feels like it should have been obvious and he's supposed to be the dumb one.

"Just that it's near our house," I reply.

"Do you know where her house is Maya?" Tris asks her.

"No I have no idea, Jake came and got Katie and they left for the cabin." Maya says.

"I'll ask her when she texts at lunch," I tell them and we all go in.

Luke and Becky join us, then Eli and the other niners. We talk for a few minutes before splitting up to go to our lockers. While Eli and I are at our lockers he asks me where Clare is and I tell him what I told the others. When lunch finally rolls around and I turn my phone back on I have a text from Clare waiting.

**Clare: Feeling a little better, slept for a couple of hours. Will be at school tomorrow.**

I text back as I start walking towards the front.

**Adam: Glad you're feeling better and you'll be back at school. Where's your house?**

I get out to the front steps and lean on the banister while awaiting a reply.

"Hey little bro wanna eat at the Dot with us?" Drew asks tousling my hair and I duck my head so he'll stop.

I look up to see him with Bianca of course; also with him is Owen, Dallas and Luke.

"My sisters eating with Jenna," Luke informs me.

"Yeah I'll eat with you guys, hey Eli want to eat with us?" I invite my best friend along.

"Sure," he shrugs just as I get a text back from Clare.

**Clare: Why?**

**Adam: So that we can come get you if anything happens or Jake gets back early.**

**Clare: Nothing's going to happen Adam and if Jake get's back I'll come to your house. I'm turning off my phone to take a bath. I'll text you tonight.**

"That's odd," Eli remarks reading the text over my shoulder as we begin walking to the Dot.

"Yeah I know," I agree.

Eli gets out his phone and tries to call her. "Her phone's off," he says putting it back in his pocket.

"Clare's phone?" Owen asks.

"Yeah she was texting Adam and when he asked for her new address she basically told him he didn't need to know and she was turning off her phone to take a bath." Eli tells them.

Before anyone can ask anything else a car horn startles us and we look over to see Sean and Jay pulling up outside the Dot.

"Hey where's Clare?" Sean asks as they get out of the car.

"Home sick she had the stomach flu yesterday and she's resting today." I inform them.

"Is she okay?" Sean questions.

"She said she was feeling better but she was resting." I reply.

"Hey do you guys know where her new house is?" Owen questions.

"No she never told us and we never dropped her off there." Sean responds.

"Is everything okay?" Jay inquires.

"Yeah I think so but she wouldn't tell me where her house is." I tell them.

"Well her stepbrother's not there right?" Jay asks as his face gets a worried angry expression.

"No he's away with Maya's sister," Owen answers.

"Well can't you track her phone or something?" Sean questions.

"Not with it off and not by just her number. She's supposed to text me again tonight." I tell them.

"Good let us know when she does, you guys mind if we eat with you?" Jay queries and we all shake our heads.

We all go into the Dot and arrange some tables so we can sit together. Jay spends most of lunch telling us stories about Clare when she was twelve. Most of the stories are funny but I can't help but wondering if my best friend is really okay or if she's hiding.

**(CLARE)**

"Morning! She looks kind of like a raccoon with those dark circles." Katie chirps as she and Jake enter my room a little after 8AM on Monday morning when I should be at school.

She was dressed in one of his shirts and he wore nothing but boxers once again. They stood at the side of my bed, his arm around her and he was nuzzling her neck with his nose. The fact that they could be so flirty and turned on by this whole fucked up situation showed the proclivity they both had for sadistic behavior. Jake looked me over with this grossly pleased expression and yet his eyes held nothing but disdain for me. I couldn't cry, I couldn't speak, I could barely lift my head. I'd gone over 30 hours being tied to my bed, not being able to move, wearing nothing, all I'd consumed was some sips of water and I hadn't slept aside from passing out for a few hours yesterday. I'd been in more physical pain than I had been in my entire life.

"Get her some water Katie Bug," Jake said kissing her cheek. Katie got the water bottle from the nightstand and held it to my lips; I took several sips before she took it away. "I think we can untie you now," Jake remarks as he begins undoing the rope on my right wrist.

The ropes loosen and my arm falls to the bed like a dead weight, the effort to try and lift it seems monumental. My arm aches, my wrist stings where the ropes were are bloody impressions of the ropes. I suck in a sharp breath and lurch a little as it almost hurts more now that my arm is out of the ropes. He releases my other arm and it too falls to the mattress like a dead weight. He and Katie untie my ankles together and they fall to the bed. It's an odd mix of increased pain and relief to be untied, my arms and legs ache, the cuts made by the ropes sting more than they did when I was still tied because they had kind of gone numb at the same time it's incredibly relieving to be free. Having restricted movement in the last 30 hours my muscles have begun to atrophy a little. This combined with the malnourishment and the torture I was put through in that time the simple act of something so ordinary and normally easily done as curling into a fetal position has become a great task. Jake and Katie watched as I made this effort and my difficulty with this task seemed to amuse them. As soon as I managed to more or less be in a fetal position Jake took my arm and began roughly pulling me up.

"Come on we'll get you a little sustenance so you don't die on us; that would be awfully hard to explain to your mother. Besides you'll need some energy for what I have planned for you today and you'll need to walk at school tomorrow or I'm pretty sure people will start wondering." The tone Jake had when he said this made it clear that allowing me food was an annoyance.

When I was unable to stand in the time that he wanted me to he picked me up over his shoulder. My welts from the day before had disappeared but I had several scratches and my nipples were sore, his bony shoulders digging into my stomach didn't help either. He gave me a hard slap on the ass as he began walking down the stairs, whether this was a punishment or simply because he felt like it I couldn't be sure, it may have very well been both and it stung. Taking me downstairs he roughly tosses me onto the sofa, I sat curled up in the corner.

"She doesn't look like she'll be able to walk to walk at school tomorrow we might get caught." Katie says sounding agitated.

"Then go to the fridge and get her one of those nutritional drinks." Jake commands her Katie walks away and Jake sits down next to me. His fingers start caressing my skin and I flinch away. "Now Clare if anyone sees these," Jake says picking up my wrist and I hiss in a breath when it stings, "what are you going to tell them?" Jake asks.

"I did it; I hurt myself because I was angry about our parents wedding." I reply in a scratchy whisper.

"Very good and you didn't see us until tomorrow morning when we're all going to ride in school together." Jake said and I nod.

At this point I could barely think on my own, it was like I'd lost all free will and whatever Jake said I was going to do. Katie returned with a bottled nutritional shake and, she gave it to Jake, he opened it and gave it to me. I drank slowly; it tasted weird but it was probably because I hadn't eaten for so long. They watched me for a while and then started making out, when I finished the bottle I set it on the side table and Jake turns his attention to me.

"Now then Clare I think it's time I took your virginity and got that ring off your finger." Jake says.

"No!" I say in as strong a voice as I can and try getting off the sofa but standing and walking is difficult and I can't manage to get away before Jake grabs me.

"I can take one virginity or I can take them all right now! I can bend you over that coffee table and just move my dick from hole to hole." He growls at me.

"No Jake please anything but that! Anything but sex right now I'm begging" I cry trying to fight as he holds me in his lap.

"Stop fighting me Clare so I can think," he says and I stop moving. "Fine I'll grant you a reprieve for now only because I need you to be functional at school tomorrow. So I'll take your virginity some other time, anyway it might be more of a turn on to take your virginity when our parents are home. Still I don't think you've learned all your lessons yet, especially since you were fighting me so here's what we're going to do I'm going to teach you to give me a good blow job, something you'll be doing daily from now on." Jake informs me and my stomach lurches bubbling in disgust. "First though for fighting and telling me no 15 lashes, Katie Bug run upstairs and get the pole and one of my belts. I'll teach you how to do it so you draw blood and if anyone sees the cuts and eventual scars she'll tell them she fell or she did it herself." Jake instructs and Katie giggles excitedly like a child at a birthday party.

"Jake I won't tell anyone please," I start begging as Katie runs upstairs but he's not hearing it.

"No you won't tell anyone Clare but there are lessons you need to learn, you think your mom cares? She left you here with me and she hasn't seen me in eight years and she left me to do whatever the hell I want to you." Jake reminds me in a venomous spiteful tone as Katie bounces down the stairs again.

"Here Jakey," Katie smiles handing him the things he asked for.

"Thanks Katie Bug," he smiles and kisses her. "Lie on your stomach Clare," Jake instructs in a commanding tone.

I start crying harder, but I do as ordered out of fear that if I don't the punishment will be more severe. My tears are quickly soaking the cushion beneath me, I hear Jake tightening the belt in his hand and then a whistle as it goes through the air then the bite of metal as the buckle hits my back and I cry out in anguished pain. Several more hits follow that one and I lose count as I get swallowed by the pain.

"Turn over Clare," Jake orders and I listen crying still and unable to see anything through them. "Here Katie Bug, long strokes, hard like you're swinging a tennis racket." Jake instructs handing her the pole, even through the tears I can see her smile.

She raises the pole and it whistles through the air before hitting my belly with a stinging THWICK! Then another, and another, and another, and another and it finally stops.

"Ooh she's bleeding, her blood looks so pretty on her skin, it's so red on her nice white skin. I want to make her bleed somewhere else! Open your legs you stupid slut!" Katie snarls.

I stay how I am, not moving aside from the shaking cause by sobbing and the occasional lurch from the pain.

"Open those legs Clare; open those legs or I will force them open and I'll rape you right now!" Jake barks in a harsh voice. My sobbing gets harder but my legs open a little. "More, bring your feet together like a lotus position." Jake orders.

It's more than humiliating, I've become an object, less than human but I do as ordered out of fear and because I don't have the strength to fight.

"Good use the belt Katie Bug it'll make bigger marks, one on each leg to finish her fifteen lashes." Jake says handing her the belt again.

I'm crying so hard I hardly feel the belt hitting my legs, the metal buckle cuts through the scratches Katie made yesterday with her nails and then it all stops. I curl up on the sofa my back to them facing the back of the sofa as I sob. I feel them sitting on the sofa at my feet and hear them kissing again. I don't know how long I cry but eventually it stops and I feel tired and drained. So tired I actually fall asleep waking up only when Jake spanks me hard.

"Wake up come on you need to eat again, you're lucky Katie was horny and we fucked upstairs so you could sleep." Jake tells me.

He pulls me up violently and hands me another shake, this one I drink down quickly. When I'm done he takes it away and Katie joins us fresh from the shower. She sits next to Jake and looks at me with a vile sadistic smile.

"Come on Clare time for your next lesson. Get on your knees," he commands pulling me off the sofa.

He stands up pulling down his boxers and sits down again, I sit on my knees in front of him. He puts his hand behind my head and forces me forward towards his erect dick and I shudder.

"Open your mouth," he commands and I open my mouth.

For what feels like an eternity Jake holds my hair and moves my head as he barks instructions at me for how to give a good blow job. If I do something wrong or something he doesn't like then Katie is instructed to whip with me with the belt or the pole. She likes it best when it draws blood and she's learned how to do that now. The open welts will turn to scars and I'll have to hide them or make excuses for them the rest of my life because nobody would ever believe these last two sick twisted days have actually happened. Finally Jake cums, his sour seed filling my mouth and I shudder but swallow it all because he tells me to and I'm afraid of what might happen if I don't.

"Water," I choke out the request.

"Katie Bug get her some water and then we'll order us some dinner." Jake instructs as he pulls me up to the sofa. He fixes his boxers and walks away, when he returns he hands me three white pills. "You have to be fictional tomorrow take them," he orders as Katie returns with a glass of water and I drink it down washing the taste from mouth and swallow the pills because at this point I don't really care what they are. "Go take a shower then we'll see if we have to bandage your wrists and ankles." Jake instructs when I finish the water.

When I can't stand very well he pulls me up and I slowly make my way upstairs. Going into the washroom I turn on the water, wait for it to get warm and get in. I want to keep it as hot as I can stand it to wash away everything, to wash away the shame and the humiliation and this gross dirty feeling but the hot water stings my cuts and open welts so I turn the water to luke warm. Standing for so long is still hard so I take the body wash and sit on the floor. Crying again for the hundredth time as I try and scrub myself clean but I don't think I'll ever feel clean again. Staying in the shower until I get cold and hear Jake and Katie coming up the steps, when I get out I pull a towel around me as Jake and Katie walk into the washroom.

"Sit on the toilet so we can bandage your wrists and ankles, if you get infections we can't play with you anymore." Jake tells me and I sit down.

He takes out a roll of gauze and antibiotic ointment and they bandage me up, Katie tells me she's had first aid training and actually does a good job. Of course I'd feel a lot better about it if I didn't know they were only doing it so I didn't get an infection because that would mean they couldn't keep torturing me. To make sure that I wasn't given any sort of dignity my towel was then taken away as soon as they were done.

"Let's go to bed you'll sleep with us tonight Clare," Jake says as he pulls me to stand up.

"No I…" I start but Jake shoots me a warning look and I stop.

My thoughts turn to making it through the night, surviving the night and getting through to tomorrow, getting to school where Jake and Katie can't torture me, at least not like this, and making sure Maya gets the hell out of that house before Katie can practice on her what she's learned on me in the last couple of days. Jake's bed is a queen like mine but with three people it feels pretty small. I lie on the edge and curl up as much as I can; Jake and Katie get in bed and start having sex. I close my eyes and try not to hear them but it doesn't exactly work. When they finish and Katie rolls off of him Jake turns to me, his finger drifts up my spine and I shudder in revulsion.

"Stay in the bed Clare, do not move from this spot all night long or I will take your virginity and Katie will help." He tells me.

They kiss goodnight and he turns over holding Katie and his back to me. I lie very still and eventually I drift to sleep out of pure exhaustion the last 50 or so hours have been mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. It's the beeping of an alarm that wakes me the next morning.

"Wake up Clare time to get ready for school," Jake says getting out of bed. I manage to get out of bed and start walking through the washroom to my room. Moving is still hard but it's a little easier today, passing the mirror I see several long red marks on my skin in the mirror. "Long sleeves Clare and jeans with sneakers less of a chance of anyone seeing your wounds," Jake reminds me.

I close my door and sink down on my bed as I begin to cry. A few minutes later Jake knocks on it and tells me to hurry up. I dress in jeans, socks, white slip on sneakers, a long sleeve white tee with a light blue one over it. When I go downstairs I can smell toast and cereal, Jake and Katie are talking at the table, light everyday small talk. You'd never know they'd spent the last two days torturing and degrading me. I go to the cabinet and get down a bowl but Jake gets up and grabs the bowl out my hands.

"No breakfast for you you're still too fat, you can have water today but nothing else." He tells me.

I sit on the sofa while I wait for them to finish eating and we get our backpacks going out to Jake's truck and he drove us to school. As soon as Jake parked I got out and got away from them, I was extremely relieved to be away from them but I also had a mission, I saw Owen's SUV when we parked and went looking for him. I found him at his locker, his head behind the door as he was getting out books and Dallas was standing with him.

"Owen," I said quickly and somewhat desperately, his head shot out of his locker and he looked at me raising his eyebrows and then looked worried, I knew I didn't look great but they all believed I had the stomach flu so I didn't think it mattered that I looked sallow and pallid. "You need to get Maya out of that house and never let her go back." I told him firmly.

He didn't even ask for an explanation just closed his locker and started walking, I followed him as did Dallas. He went to the French classroom where Maya was sitting on a desk talking to Tris.

"Maya you're coming home with us today and living with us from now on." Owen informs her.

_"Well that was easy," _I think and then knowing they were going to ask questions I tried to slip away before they turned their attention to me. I don't succeed though, Dallas catches my wrist and I hiss in pain as he grasps the cut made by the rope. Dallas releases my wrist and they both give me a worried look, I can see the questions racing through their minds and know they're about to ask them out loud.

**This is not one of my regularly updated stories because only the longer ones are updated every week. However this story is rather popular so I will get the next update out in a couple of weeks, Sunday the 13th of October to be exact. And the next chapter will be happier.**


	5. Covered in Scars I did Nothing to Earn

**Ch. 5 Covered in Scars I did Nothing to Earn**

**(CLARE)**

Owen and Dallas look at me about to ask a question, I can see it in their eyes but Maya speaks first.

"Not that I'm complaining but why am I coming home with you and staying from now on?" Maya asks.

"Not sure yet we were just about to ask Clare the same thing," Owen says and now she and Tris are looking at me too.

"Jake and Katie came home this morning and I rode in with them. Katie was talking about all this stuff she was going to do to Maya when she got home." I tell them slowly.

"And your wrist?" Dallas inquires.

"I slipped in the bathtub, think I sprained it I need to go to my locker now." I reply quickly.

"Fine we're going with you, you two get back in the classroom." Owen says to Tris and Maya.

I can try to tell Owen and Dallas not to come but they won't listen. I walk to my locker hoping they don't see how slow I'm moving.

"So what was Katie saying?" Owen inquires.

"Just how she wanted to hurt Maya, I guess Jake was teaching her stuff while they were at the cabin." I respond opening the lock on my locker.

"Did they do anything to you?" Owen questions.

"No we just rode into school." I reply taking a book out of my locker and trying not to show how much it hurts to move.

"Clare..." Owen starts but I cut him off.

"Owen nothing happened, can I go to class now?" I request trying to walk past him but he stops me with his hands on my waist and I hiss in a breath as his fingers hit some of the scratches from being whipped with Jake's belt.

Owen releases me and gives me a worried but harsh look as Adam, Eli, Drew and Bianca walk up.

"What's going on?" Eli queries.

"Jake and Katie came home this morning and she rode into school with them. Apparently Katie was threatening Maya so she'll be living with us from now on." Owen enlightens the group.

"You alright Clare?" Adam asks.

"I'm fine," I tell them.

"You feeling better?" Adam questions.

"Yes much better I mostly just slept yesterday but I do need to go talk to Principal Simpson and tell him why I was out yesterday." I remark.

"Fine Eli and Adam go with her, I'm going to call Sean and Jay to have them meet us for lunch." Owen comments.

"Why? They have work and…wait since when do you have Sean or Jay's number?" I question.

"Since we ate with them yesterday and I exchanged numbers with them. They're worried about you so they're meeting us for lunch and then you can tell us all what happened." Owen responds.

"Owen nothing happened," I reiterate but I do want to see Sean and Jay so I don't argue any further. I start walking to Principal Simpson's office with the male misfits following me. "You two wait out here if you want but I don't need an escort or bodyguards in Simpson's office," I insist.

"We'll wait out here," Eli tells me as he and Adam sit in two of the chairs outside Simpson's office.

I knock on Simpson's door, he looks up from his desk through the little window and waves for me to come in, I close the door behind me and sit down. "Good Morning Sir, about my absence yesterday I had the stomach flu on Sunday and yesterday I was so tired from throwing up all day Sunday I spent the day sleeping." I tell Simpson quickly before he can speak.

"I'm sorry to hear that Clare but why didn't I receive a call from your mother?" Simpson asks.

"She's out of town Sir, on her honeymoon with her new husband." I inform him.

"Oh yes Jake Martin's father, what about Jake?" He asks.

"Jake was away with Katie Matlin until this morning. I'll make up the work you know I can." I assert.

"Alright Clare I'll let your teachers know and have the school secretary take the unexcused absence from your record but next time I need a note or a phone call from a parent or guardian." Simpson replies.

"Yes sir thank you," I smile and get up.

I leave his office; Eli and Adam follow me and keep giving me worried looks.

"You don't look well," Eli remarks.

"I had the stomach flu Eli," I retort.

"You don't look like you've eaten," Adam says.

"I haven't had much of an appetite with the stomach flu," I reply even though I actually feel quite hungry but I can't eat Jake says I'm fat.

They don't say anything else and only drop me at math class but Adam tells me he'll see me next period. Connor also makes a remark about how I look but when I tell him I had the stomach flu he doesn't say anything else. In science Jenna remarks about it too but she also buys the excuse that I had the stomach flu. At morning break we are joined by Eli, Drew, Bianca, Owen, Dallas, Luke and Becky. They don't ask me anything else about Jake and Katie or this morning, I think they're waiting until we're with Sean and Jay at lunch. After morning break civics and art go by pretty quickly although Dave does remark about how I look. At lunch Owen comes to get Adam and I from civics class, we meet the others on the stairs and begin walking to the Dot. Jake sees me with the group and gives me a look that tells me I'll be punished later, the others don't notice. When we get to the Dot Sean and Jay are already there, they get up and hug me forcing me to hiss in a breath again. They release me instantly and give me the same look as everyone else.

"I'm okay just fell in the tub," I tell them quietly.

We sit down, Sean on one side of me and Owen on the other, the waiter comes to get our order and then leaves to go put it in.

"Jake and Katie came home this morning," Owen informs Sean and Jay and they look at me.

"Nothing happened we just rode to school together," I tell them.

"Really?" Jay asks me cocking an eyebrow.

"They came home and we drove to school together that was all." I say again in a more austere voice.

"What about talk? You told me that Katie was talking about all the stuff she wanted to do to Maya what about Jake?" Owen asks and everyone looks at me again.

"He didn't really say much," I answer a little slowly and I can tell Adam doesn't believe me.

"What about your Mom or even Jake's dad have you tried telling them he came in your room again?" Adam questions.

"No they uh didn't believe me the first time and…" I stall unsure what to say and then Adam's eyes go wide.

"Wait your parents aren't even home?" Adam exclaims.

"They haven't been home in a while have they Clare? When did they leave?" Eli inquires and the rest of the table is looking between us all like the three of us just sprouted second heads.

"How the hell do you know that she didn't say anything?" Jay asks.

"They sometimes read each other's thoughts; I swear they sometimes share one brain." Drew remarks because he's seen it before.

"That's still one more brain than you have," Adam quips and Drew glares at him.

"Clare how long have your parents been gone?" Sean asks again.

"Since Wednesday," I tell them quietly and brace for all the yelling I know is coming.

"WHAT?!" Eli and Adam yell together.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING A WEEK AGO?!" Owen hollers and the entire café is looking at us now.

"CLARE YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED US THAT NIGHT!" Jay shouts.

"Clare did Jake do something? Your parents have been gone a week and you were only in touch with Adam Sunday and Monday." Sean says calmly putting his hand on my back.

His touch is instantly calming and makes me feel safe, I just want to wrap his arms around me and stay in them.

"No I stayed away Thursday and Friday night and then Jake and Katie were gone and didn't return until this morning." I reply in an even tone.

"See that sounds like a rehearsed answer to me, she keeps insisting that but it always sounds the same," Owen remarks.

"Nothing happened," I state again firmly but getting agitated and I feel tears pushing at the corners of my eyes.

There's a moment of silence, everyone is watching me and I'm looking at my hands, picking at my nails.

"When are your parents back Clare?" Eli questions in a placid tone.

"Tomorrow night," I reply.

"You're not going home tonight!" Owen states in an determined voice.

"I have t…" I begin but Dallas and Drew cut me off together.

"No!"

"You can sleep at our place tonight," Drew tells me.

"Or mine," offers Eli.

"Or mine," Owen adds.

"Here," Sean says taking his keys from his pocket and removing one of the keys that he then gives to me. "It's a key to our place so you can get in anytime you need to and that includes staying over."

"Thanks," I smile.

After this, to my relief, the subject is dropped and we start talking about other things. I hug Jay and Sean goodbye before we head back to school. Once we get in the front doors of DeGrassi our group splits up. Adam leaves to walk Becky to class, Eli goes to find Imogen to discuss some project, the others go to their lockers and I walk to mine. I get it open it and start taking out books when an arm comes around my waist and I'm pressed into a male body. A frightened whimper gets caught in my throat with my breath and I freeze.

"Where were you at lunch?" Jake's hot breath drifts over my cheek and makes me shudder. "You didn't say anything did you?" He whispers and I shake my head too afraid to speak. "Good girl, tonight you'll sleep in my bed so I can take your virginity my way."

Jake lets go of me walking away, I nearly collapse against the lockers, leaning against my open one and letting out the breath I'd been holding. I have to take a couple deep breaths to keep from crying and vomiting. Jake's words and the way he said it have me trembling with disgust and terror. A hand on my back makes me jump and shriek, turning around quickly to be faced by a concerned and angry looking Owen. He holds his hands up to show me he won't hurt me and I lean against the lockers, bracing my hands on my thighs and looking up at Owen trying not to break down.

"What was that about are you okay?" He asks quickly.

"Nothing, it was nothing I'm fine." I reply in a nervous rapid voice as I straighten up and turn again but Owen stops me leaning his arm on the edge of my locker.

"Then why do you look terrified and like you're about to throw up and why was your stepbrother holding you so close?" Owen questions his tone is hard yet worried.

"He uh…just…" I stumble over a believable response and Owen gently turns me to face him again.

"Clare tell me," he practically pleads.

"Nothing Owen it was nothing!" I insist afraid to tell him and afraid to go home, my fear and my instinct were playing a tug of war inside of me.

"Fine don't tell me I'll go beat it out of Jake!" He tells me turning around to walk away and I catch his Ice Hounds jacket.

"Owen don't I told you it was nothing," I assert.

He turns back to look at me and then catches sight of my wrist. When I caught his jacket my sleeve caught on it pulling down my sleeve enough that the blood soaked bandage on my wrist became exposed. Owen's face becomes this blended expression of worry and rage. He very softly takes my hand from his jacket and holds it up so he can examine my wrist more closely.

"Then what the hell happened here?" He questions.

I take my arm back pulling my sleeve over the bandage again, biting my lip nervously.

"I hurt myself, I was angry about my mom's wedding and I hurt myself." I tell him saying what Jake told me to.

He cocks an eyebrow giving me a dubious look. "You don't expect me to believe that do you? I may not know you that well but I know you wouldn't hurt yourself because you were angry over your mom getting married. You wanted me to get Maya out of her house and I did now tell me what the hell happened this weekend." Owen insists.

"What's going on?" Adam questions coming up to his locker.

"I already told you what happened," I insist trying to walk past them but they both stop me as Drew, Bianca and Dallas join us.

"Clare y…" Owen starts but I cut him off.

"I told you what happened okay just drop it! Please," I practically plead as my voice wavers and I become more flustered.

"Okay but you aren't going home tonight, come on let's get to class." Adam says calmly putting his arm around my shoulders.

I hear someone closing my locker as Adam and I walk off to class. Adam doesn't say anything else about it and we sit down in class. Eli comes in a minute later giving us a look because he knows something's wrong but he also knows not to say anything. No one else says anything for the rest of the afternoon, not until school lets out for the day anyway.

"You are not going home, not with Jake and no parents there." Owen asserts.

"You can come to our house," Adam offers.

This is tempting and I know I'd be safe but if Audra sees the bandage on my wrists she'll go nuts and that will lead to a whole world of questions and problems I'm not ready to deal with.

"No I'll go to Jay and Sean's, I'm tired and I don't want to be a bother." I reply.

"It's not a bother but if you want to go to Jay and Sean's then fine we'll drop you off." Drew says.

I wave to the others as Adam puts his arm around my shoulders and I walk to Drew's car with the Torres brothers and Bianca. I told Drew how to get to Jay and Sean's apartment building and then the three of them walked me upstairs to their apartment.

"I'll call you later and if you so much as hear from Jake you better call me." Adam insists.

"I will," I promised.

Then I hugged the three of them and tried not to make any sound when their tight hugs hit the cuts and bruises on me. They waited until I had the door unlocked and was inside before they left. I sat on the sofa, turned on the TV and opened my backpack pulling out my homework. I started doing my math homework but then I burst into tears, it was like the last several days all came rushing to me all at once and now that I was safe and alone I was breaking down. I set my homework down on the table, curled up on the sofa and cried until I fell asleep.

**(SEAN)**

"I'm starved what do we have to eat?" I ask Jay as we walk up to our apartment after getting off of work.

"Dude I don't know, I think we have baked beans and pasta or something." Jay remarks.

"Gross let's order pizza or anything, you do it I'm going to call Clare and make sure she's okay." I tell him as he unlocks our door since I gave my key to Clare earlier.

"Don't think you have to," Jay comments when he steps in.

I follow him in to see Clare asleep on the sofa, the TV is on and she has homework open on the coffee table but not much is done. It looks like she was crying and she's all curled up with her shoes still on and everything. Jay closes and locks the front door again while I kneel by the sofa brushing some hair from Clare's face.

"Hey wake sleepy head," I say quietly.

Her eyes blink open and she rubs them before she sits up yawning. "Sorry," she apologizes in a tired voice.

"For what?" I ask brushing my fingers through her curls to tame them again.

"Falling asleep I guess," she replies.

"Don't apologize but next time you might find my bed more comfortable. I gave you my key so you could come over anytime, you're always welcome here." I tell her.

"Yep this is your home too," Jay agrees with me. "Pizza okay with you for dinner?" He asks her and she nods.

Jay turns on his laptop to place an order for pizza and Clare's phone rings. She sucks in a breath and looks scared but reaches over to her backpack pulling out her phone then sighs in relief.

"It's Adam," she tells us before answering. "Hi Adam…Yeah I'm fine Jay and Sean are here…yeah I'm staying the night…I will, see you tomorrow Adam." She says and hangs up.

"Good you're sleeping over here, you'll take my bed again." I tell her and she smiles.

"Pizza's on its way," Jay says hanging up and Clare's phone rings again.

She looks at it bites her lip and turns off the phone. "Wrong number," she says quickly and then walks off to the washroom.

I go back to my room to talk off my shoes and she comes out of the washroom, she washed her face and she gives me a smile before looking away. She goes out to the sofa again and starts doing her homework once more. I sit next to her and Jay sits in the arm chair, it doesn't seem to bother her that Jay changes the channel to karate movie and she finishes her homework faster than even Emma did, assuming she even finished all of her homework of course. The pizza comes, I pay this time and the three of us eat, she barely eats half a piece telling us she's still recovering from that stomach flu. But she seems calmer now and even a little bit happy however we both know something happened or there's something she isn't telling us. We talked about it after lunch but Jay says not to push her on it and we just won't ever let her go home again. Her mom may not protect her but we will and her friends will too. We stay up watching TV and movies until about midnight, I tell Clare to borrow one of my shirts to sleep in again and she goes to my bedroom. I hear her in the washroom a couple minutes later and then she comes out again but she's still dressed. She gets down a glass from the cupboard fills it with water and looks at me then Jay as she takes a sip.

"Sean would you umm…sleep in the room with me again?" She requests timidly darting her eyes between Jay and I, she must be worried about what he'll say or think.

"Yeah of course," I smile.

Jay doesn't say a word he knows we're only sleeping, she kisses Jay's cheek tells him goodnight and walks back to my bedroom, I hear the door lock so I assume she's changing.

"See if you can get her to talk to you, something went on it that house this weekend I'm sure of it." Jay says.

"Yeah I will but either way Jake is not getting near her again I don't care what she says I know he did something. She can stay here with us and we can get Owen and the others to watch her at school." I comment and Jay nods as I hear my bedroom door open again. "See you in the morning," I say to Jay before walking me back to my room.

The light is off but I can just see Clare in bed. I close the bedroom door and strip down in the dark putting on clean boxers before I get in the bed. She's lying on her side facing me, I lie on my back close to her, she smells like lavender and spring rain, I inhale deeply taking in her scent. She whispers goodnight, I whisper it back and then we're silent. I know she's asleep when I hear her breathing become soft and regular. I fall asleep shortly after but then get awoken by her panicked voice and thrashing in the bed some time later!

"No let me go! Leave me alone! Get off of me!" She calls out.

I sit up holding her arms and trying to keep her from thrashing as I attempt to wake her up.

"Clare wake up, Clare you're okay it's me wake up." I say loudly but calmly.

"No don't please…" she cries.

She's sobbing, shaking, thrashing wildly. I find her wrists and gently pin them both down realizing that they're both bandaged.

"Clare it's Sean, you're safe wake up you're okay." I insist a little louder and little firmer.

She gasps, I let go of her wrists then she turns on her side and begins crying almost hysterically. She curls up into a fetal position, she's crying so hard she's shaking. I turn on my side and stroke her arm gently. She stays with her back to me for a minute and then turns over facing me, her forehead resting on my chest. I put my arm around her and she sucks in a breath like she's in pain when I put my arm around her back.

"You're safe now but tell me what the nightmare was about." I request and she shakes her head. "Clare I know something happened please tell me." I persist.

"I can't," she replies so softly against my skin I hardly hear her.

"Clare I know something happened we all do. Your wrists are bandaged and I want to know why. Please talk to me," I plead.

She shakes her head again and sits up pulling herself out of my arms. She curls up pulling her knees to her chest; by the light coming in from outside I can see that she wraps her arms around her knees. I hear her sniffle in her tears as I sit up next to her, I place my hand on her back gently but she pulls away from me.

"I can't tell you, even if he…" she starts and then her sentence trails off.

"Clare you can tell me," I urge her, I can hear by the tone in her voice that she wants to tell me but something is keeping her from doing so.

"No I can't," she insists with a deep breath and then turns to look at me although we can't see each other very well in the ambient light in the room.

"Why not Clare?" I question.

"Because I like you and I know you probably just see me as a kid and ev…"

That's as far as she gets before I cup her face and cut her off by softly pressing my lips to hers. Her breath seizes and she freezes for a second, then she exhales against my lips, her mouth parts just slightly and I deepen the kiss. I pull away after a minute and look at her barely able to see her in the dim lighting but I can see her eyes sparkling.

"I like you too Clare and I don't think of you as a little kid at all. You are a very beautiful, very sexy, very smart woman and I like you a lot." I tell her putting my arm around her; she doesn't pull away this time. "Now please tell me what happened Clare." I appeal again.

She takes a deep breath leaning on me a little, her hands grip the blanket and she starts fiddling with it.

"It started Saturday night, I got home expecting Jake and Katie to be gone but I found out they were home. I tried to be quiet, I was just going to pack a bag and go back to Adam's house but they heard me and came into my room. Jake grabbed me on the arm where he'd bruised me the other day, he was gripping down hard and it hurt. He pushed me toward Katie and she held my arms tightly, I bit her hand and she scratched the back of my neck." Clare tells me and stops as she begins crying a little harder again.

I let go of her just briefly to reach back and turn on the light on the nightstand. She doesn't move and I softly brush her hair away from the back of her neck to see five nail marks that were dug deep into her flesh. Very softly I kiss one of them and she pulls in a short breath before she trembles just slightly. Leaning forward I can see the bottom portion of a very large bruise on her arm and I pull up the sleeve of my shirt that she's wearing to see the full bruise.

"What happened to your wrists?" I ask her looking at a blood soaked bandage on each of her wrists.

"They gagged me, tore and cut off my clothes and then tied me to my bed, my legs open, my wrists tied to the posts above my head. They left me like that all night long," she says then stops because she's crying so hard she can hardly speak.

I'm shocked and angry beyond belief, I don't know what to say and I have to swallow the hard lump in my throat as I tighten my arm around her. She takes a deep breath wiping her tears before she continues.

"The ropes were too tight and every time I moved they cut into my skin. I didn't sleep all night long, I couldn't. I just cried a lot and whatever faith I had left died. It was cold and embarrassing to be like that even though I was the only one in the room." She says crying harder again and turning her face away from me.

"It's not your fault Clare you didn't do it, you have no reason to be ashamed. I don't think any less of you," I assure her.

"I hope you can still say that when I'm done," she says turning her head again, she isn't really looking at me but she's not totally looking away from me either. "They came back in my room they next morning, Jake was wearing only boxers and Katie one of his shirts it was almost as embarrassing to see them that way as it was to be tied nude in front of them. They were flirty and happy, taking pleasure in what they had done to me. Jake took the gag from my mouth and I demanded they untie me. He told Katie to get me some water and he looked at me with a sick pleasure then he started caressing me and I told him not to touch me. He got angry and squeezed my breast really tight, when I started to scream he put his hand over my mouth. He told me they were going to teach me some things and then twisted my nipple he let go as Katie brought me water. I wouldn't have had any but I was really thirsty," she tells me and has to stop again to let herself cry.

All I can do is hold her and tell her she's safe. I can't believe this happened to her, I mean I believe her but this kind of stuff only happens in horror movies, or so I thought. I feel sick but also boiling with rage that they did this sick shit to her, not only did they do it but they took pleasure in it. After a few minutes and a deep breath she starts again.

"I asked them to let me go, promised I wouldn't say anything but Jake didn't believe me. He put the gag back in my mouth and left my room for a minute." She pauses for a deep shuddering breath before continuing. "He came back with a fishing pole, just the top skinny part. He told me I wasn't allowed to spend nights away and then…then he bent the fishing pole back and let it go so that he whipped me with it." She tells me her voice getting so quiet it's nearly inaudible at the end.

I can't breathe, my chest gets tight and I feel even sicker and angrier. "He did what?" I ask in disbelief.

"He told me I could never talk about what happened in that house, he said no one would believe me and then he hit me with the pole again. It hurt so bad I felt sick, I tried to curl up but I was still tied to my bed." She stops for another deep breath and wiping the tears from her eyes before continuing. "Katie wanted to whip me so he let her, he told her to aim for my nipple as it would hurt the most. Jake told me that I needed to learn I was nothing and Katie whipped me with the fishing pole, it hit my nipple and I tried to scream."

She has to stop again; I cup her chin and softly kiss her forehead.

"You are something Clare, you are wonderful don't believe anything he told you." I assert.

She nods slightly but doesn't look entirely like she believes me, another deep breath wiping away more tears and she starts again.

"She was going to hit me again but he stopped her not because he cared though because he said if I went into shock they couldn't play with me anymore and I wouldn't learn anything. They told me they'd be back after breakfast and then my phone beeped, it was Adam. Jake's the one that was texting him telling Adam I was sick. Jake took my phone with him and they went downstairs to eat after that, leaving me tied to the bed again crying and in pain. They came back only to tell me they were going to run an errand before getting dressed and leaving. They were finally gone but I couldn't escape, my bindings were too tight and no one was going to hear me scream. Knowing they were actually out of the house though and since I hadn't slept all night I fell asleep. Jake woke me up when they returned, he took off my gag and gave me some more water. Katie said my skin was soft and I spit at her. She got mad and tried to hit me but Jake stopped her, he told her not to leave visible bruises that it leads to questions. He was teaching her how to torture Maya the same way that's why I made sure Owen got her out of that house and would keep her away I couldn't let her go through even a little of that I just couldn't." She tells me and then puts her head on my shoulder to cry a little harder.

I hold her close smoothing her hair and kissing her forehead. "Maya is safe now, Owen made sure she won't go home and I'm not letting you go home again either." I tell her in a determined voice.

She nods her head on me then picks her head up to talk again. "He stopped her from hitting me but I still got punished for spitting at her. She scratched her nails down my thigh as hard and deep as she could." Clare tells me.

"Let me see," I request.

She hesitates for a second and then moves the covers off her legs, straightens her legs and shows me her inner thigh where Katie made some vicious scratches along it. That's not all I see though, she also has welts on her legs they aren't very big now but they are still visible and I'm sure were much larger a day or so ago. I run my fingers over them softly, she bites her lip, looks down, her legs go back together she draws them back up to her chest pulling up the blanket again.

"The welts are from the fishing pole," she tells me quietly.

"Oh Clare," I respond because I have no idea what else to say.

"Jake told me I was nothing but an object for their amusement. That no one cared about me, that my mom knew what he was going to do to me and she still left me there with him alone." She tells me.

"I don't know if that was true about your mom but people do care about you and you are not an object. I care about you, so does Jay, Owen, Eli, Adam and all your other friends." I remind her and she takes my hand.

"They put…" she stops clearing her throat and hesitating to tell me the rest. I squeeze her hand and hold her a little tighter encouraging her to continue. "They put nipple clamps on me; that was the errand that they ran. When I tried to fight they tightened them all the way and I screamed. Jake whipped me with the pole a bunch of times, so many times I lost count, it caught on the chain for the clamps a couple of times pulling on it, that hurt even more and then I went unconscious. I was out for a long time, only waking up when they took off the nipple clamps. Jake told me to tell everyone I hurt myself if they saw my wrists and I told him I would; I was scared I didn't know what else to say."

She stops, turning into me again, she's been through hell and she isn't even finished yet she's only gotten through Saturday night and Sunday and she wasn't in school yesterday for a reason other than the stomach flu. I hold her and brush my fingers through her hair until she's ready to talk again.

"They gave me more water and told me we'd be staying home from school on Monday. I told them people would be looking for me and that's when I found out that Jake had been texting Adam all day as me so he wouldn't get suspicious." She says.

I feel sick with guilt now, we talked about this yesterday, we thought everything was fine, that she was sick, that Jake wasn't there. We should have done something, looked harder, knocked on every door, something, anything but we didn't. It takes a couple of hours but she tells me everything; that Jake told her he would rape her the next day and then they had sex on Jake's bed so she could watch them. She didn't watch but she could hear them. She tells me that she was left tied to her bed again all night long and didn't sleep again. When they finally untied her the next morning she could barely move. She tried to walk but couldn't so Jake tossed her over his shoulder. He gave her a nutritional shake as her only sustenance and spent the day grooming her not to talk and to lie. Her own stepbrother was grooming her to be a mindless sex slave and it makes me beyond ill. She did manage to talk him out of raping her yesterday but she was punished by getting lashed fifteen times with the buckle side of one of his belts. Then he taught her how to give a blow job and if she did something wrong Katie would whip her. She wasn't tied to her bed again but forced to sleep in the bed with Jake and Katie and told not to move or he would rape her. He was going to rape her tonight but she came here at the insistence of Owen and the others.

"Let me see Clare, please let me see everything." I request when she's finished telling me and her sobbing has nearly stopped.

She hesitates nervous or embarrassed but she finally grips the shirt and pulls it over her head. Her back is covered with welts and cuts from being whipped by the belt and the fishing pole. She slowly uncurls, pulling down the blanket and I see not only welts and cuts all over her front but her breasts are bruised, her nipples purple mostly likely from the clamps being on too long and too tight, more welts and cuts on her legs and bandages on her ankles where she was bound.

As soon as I've seen everything she grabs my shirt again putting it back on and covering up with the blanket again. She doesn't come back to my arms though; she covers herself with the blanket, lies on her side with her back to me and starts crying again. I switch off the light and lie down next to her putting my arm around her. As soon as my arm goes around her she turns to me and cries against my chest. I hold her tighter, keeping her close, feeling her heart pound against my chest.

"He won't ever touch you again, not ever I'll make sure of it. You are never going back to that house; you're safe now he's never going to touch you again. I'm going to kill him for what he already did and never let him touch you again." I assure her.

She cries into my chest until she finally falls asleep again, it's a little after four but I can't get back to sleep. I can only think about what hell she went though this weekend, how I'm going to kill Jake slowly and painfully and how I'm going to make sure he never touches her again. She wakes up a little after six when my alarm goes off; she stirs in my arms and then opens her eyes to look at me.

"Morning Pretty Eyes," I smile and then bend down to kiss her. She relaxes in my arms and into the kiss. I pull away after a few seconds, after what she went through I don't want to push her. "Do you want to shower first or are you hungry for breakfast?" I ask her.

"I shouldn't eat breakfast Jake says I'm fat," she tells me sitting up out of my arms.

Jake completely messed with her head, totally broke her but I'm going to put her back together. I sit up putting my arms around her again; she at least seems to take solace in my touch as she grips me and holds on.

"You are not fat Clare; you're perfect do you hear me? You are gorgeous, sexy, smart and wonderful. Everything Jake told you, everything he said to you it isn't true. He wanted to tear you down but everything he said isn't true. He will never touch you again I will keep you safe, me and Jay and the others you are not alone and we all care about you. Why don't you take a nice long shower, or a bath even we'll be here with you the whole time." I tell her.

She nods and gets out of bed; I can see some of the welts and the bruise on her arm, not to mention the bandaged wounds on her wrists and ankles. I get up getting her a towel; she takes it and goes off to the washroom taking her clothes from the day before with her. I put on jeans before going out to the kitchen to find Jay making coffee, he looks at me.

"So she tell you what the hell happened?" Jay asks.

"Yeah and we have a person to kill you are not going to believe what she went through. I'm going to call Owen get him over here so we can tell him too and see if he can bring her some fresh clothes." I tell Jay, he nods while I grab my phone and press Owen's name.

"Hey Sean what's up Clare okay?" Owen asks when he answers.

"She's with us and safe but I wouldn't say she's okay, can you come over before school she told me everything." I tell him.

"Yeah on my way over," he responds.

"Good see if you can get her some clothes too so she isn't wearing the same thing to school." I request.

"Yeah no problem I'll swing by B's place she doesn't live that far from you guys. Be there in about fifteen minutes." He tells me.

"Thanks Owen see you soon," I say and hang up.

"He bringing her clothes?" Jay asks and I nod. "So how badly are we going to be killing this stepbrother of hers?" He questions pouring himself some coffee.

"Slow painful and bad," I reply hearing the washroom door open and walk back to find Clare coming out dressed with her hair wet which she's combing with her fingers. "That wasn't very long," I remark.

"The water hurt all the cuts, I think I need new bandages on my wrists and ankles." She says.

"I can help you but leave them for now, Owen's on his way over and he's bringing you something to wear. I'm going to go get dressed; Jay has coffee in the kitchen." I tell her.

"Thanks Sean," she responds with a soft smile. I smile back and turn to go to the room but she catches my hand and I turn back to her. "Umm Sean about us, I mean not that there is an us just uh…" she stumbles over her question.

I grin caressing my fingers under her chin and pulling her to me for a tenderly passionate kiss. Her lips part just a bit and my tongue caresses her bottom lip but I don't go in, not yet. When I pull away she's smiling this sweet blissful smile and then bites her lip.

"Clare will you be my girlfriend?" I ask her, she nods, releases her lip and I bring my lips to hers again.

**And then there was Slare update on Nov 3rd starting with Owen's pov as he arrives at their apartment and he and Jay find out everything. And the return of Glen and Helen.**


End file.
